A brand-new intensive care bed, designed specifically for patients with serious spinal injuries, is now in use at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.
Made possible through a generous legacy to the Critical Unit Fund of Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity, the new bed has been described as ‘a premium ICU model – developed by nurses for nurses.’
With unique and advanced features, the new bed has already brought real benefits enhancing the experience of patients.
“This is a fantastic piece of equipment,” says Rachel Driver, Ward Sister on the Critical Care Unit. “When a patient comes to us with a life-threatening spinal injury, having a bed that’s here and ready for their needs means there are no delays in providing the specialist care they require. In terms of helping us to provide that much needed continuity of care for patients, having this specialised, dedicated piece of equipment on the ward has been a tremendous help.”
Designed with both patient wellbeing and staff usability in mind, the bed supports improving respiratory outcomes, aid mobilisation and helps to prevent falls – all key to helping the recovery of critically ill patients.
While primarily based in the Critical Care Unit, the bed is also fully mobile and can be moved to other wards and departments when needed. This helps to ensure patients with spinal injuries receive consistent, high-quality care wherever they are in the hospital.
Gifts in wills, such as this, provide a meaningful lasting legacy and enable the charity to fund specialist equipment and enhancements to patient care across Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust.
“So far, feedback from our patients has been incredibly positive,” Rachel continues. “The bed has already made a real impact on how we work and the efficiency of care we’re able to deliver. We’re very grateful to the generous donation for their support and for helping to make the purchase of this much-valued piece of equipment a real.”