Innova Care Concepts claims that against a backdrop where – according to NICE data, an estimated 300,000 patients in England develop a healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) annually – its new automated Bed Washing System will ‘completely change how beds are cleaned in hospitals nationwide’.
The company said: “Currently, almost all hospital beds and mattresses in the UK are cleaned by hand, because approximately 98% of UK hospital beds are non-washable. It said: “Nor can they be cleaned using automated systems using water and chemicals, as they damage electronic components. Manual cleaning, meanwhile, involves several lengthy processes – including dismantling the bed to wipe all headboards, siderails, and other surfaces, before carrying out a full mattress decontamination separately.”
With – as it puts it – ‘the Coronavirus pandemic having placed even greater focus on infection prevention’, especially in relation to cleaning medical equipment, Innova’s new Bed Washing System uses steam and precision robotics to provide thermal cleaning and disinfection. It said: “While there are several automated bedwashing systems already available in the UK, they all rely on chemicals and water for cleaning. Ours is the only system suitable for cleaning IPX4 beds with advanced electronics.”
Able to wash, disinfect, and dry beds and mattresses all in one cycle, the Bed Washing System is already in use in hospitals across Europe, and is now available in the UK for the first time. Innova Care Concepts cites three key benefits for healthcare facilities:
- Lower risk of healthcare-acquired infections, with less human contact required for cleaning. Cleanliness levels are validated by a minimum log> 5 reduction in micro-organisms.
- Saves time and staff resources; having a single system to clean all beds is more efficient, with less time spent on upfront cleaning training. Each individual bed is ready in six, rather than 15 minutes. As all mattress handling is automated, the physical burden on staff is removed, ‘freeing up their time and energy to focus on other aspects of patient care’.
- Reduced costs. Research conducted by Weber Hospital Systems shows that the Bed Washing System ‘is over 20% cheaper than manual cleaning, and 21% cheaper than other mechanised bedwashing solutions.
Click on the link below to view a video of the Bed Washing System in action.
