NEWS Wrist-worn patient call device launched


Pinpoint’s new WristPIT is a bespoke, easily accessible, wrist-worn infrared patient call transmitter which allows service-users / patients to activate a call for assistance even if away from their bed or a fixed call-point.


The company explained: “Pinpoint’s renowned PIT technology – usually worn


by staff for personal safety – has, for the first time, been designed around patient use. The WristPIT can withstand showering and brief submersion in water, and


incorporates antimicrobial product protection.” According to National Reporting and Learning System data, around 250,000 incidents where patients required


assistance in hospital were reported in 2015/16. In many cases, Pinpoint says, nursing staff remained unaware that a patient had


had a fall ‘for quite some time’.


Pressing the ‘call’ button on the WristPIT notifies the personnel on duty that a patient is requesting help, and informs


Four innovative ‘concept doors’ shown


At May’s DiMH 2019 exhibition, Kingsway Group showcased ‘concept doorsets’ from four leading UK mental health architects, all built by the company. Kingsway explained: “In the spirit of the NHS ‘Transforming Care’ guidelines, the architects designed their concept doorsets to be patient group-specific – in line with our ethos that security should not be a barrier to good design, and that products should be designed with the patient in mind.” The doorsets (pictured, from left)


were: l IBI’s ‘Hello Holly Sensory’ doorset, designed for dementia patients, and incorporating patient tracking and sensing ‘to provide unobtrusive wayfinding assistance’. The ‘unique’ patient threshold seating area and personal memory box units ‘provide meaningful interactions’. A ‘kit-of-parts’ approach allows specifiers to select the coordinated elements based on project needs, ‘with the knowledge that all items will co-ordinate on site when Kingsway Group delivers the solution’.


l Medical Architecture’s ‘Keep It Simple’ doorset – designed as ‘a calm and non-


stimulating doorset which delivers benefits to the secure care environment’. Natural finishes and minimalist hardware from Kingsway’s Signature range were blended – ‘to provide a fresh take on what a doorway can be when design is patient-centred’.


l Gilling Dod’s Lumos CAMHS doorset – ‘the result of collaborative learning’, the Lumos features a lit sensory panel to the outside which the patient can control ‘to communicate feelings through colour’. The panel also incorporates the ‘Smart’ access control reader, ‘again giving maximum patient freedom’, and staff a real-time audit trail of every user action.


l The Nuture doorset for adult acute settings, from P+H S Architects, introduces a ‘hotel feel’ through strong vertical features – with a centrepiece sensory terrarium panel with artificial plants and natural materials to the outside of the bedroom. The door design ‘encourages user interaction, and delivers an inspirational experience through colours, textures, and technology’.


staff of their precise location. The clearly labelled button is recessed, and surrounded by a bump guard to prevent false alarms. Pinpoint alarm systems are installed ‘in thousands of UK and US medical facilities’. The new WristPIT is backward compatible, and ‘easily integrated’ into existing Pinpoint Systems. A green LED indicates ‘activation’, with good battery level. When the battery requires changing, the LED flashes red until it is changed, and the device is re- tested. The WristPIT will withstand harsh environments and user tampering, making it suitable for facilities where service-users may be at risk of self-harm.


‘Enhanced functionality and aesthetics’


Britplas launched a new operating handle for its Safevent window at Design in Mental Health 2019, which replaces three separate pieces of hardware, ‘bringing improvements in both functionality and aesthetics’.


The Safevent window is designed specifically for mental health environments, ‘providing safety and security, while also allowing natural light and ventilation and a high degree of patient control’. Until now, Britplas explains, the window controls have comprised a ‘wizzy winder’, patient thumb lock, and staff lock. The new patented Multask handle provides the functionality of all three components within an anti-ligature, stainless steel shell that Britplas says has passed all relevant industry tests for mental health environments.


The new handle can be stopped at any point of being open or closed, giving both service-users and staff increased flexibility over both ventilation and privacy. Britplas says the anti-tamper design of the staff lock ‘greatly reduces the potential for damage and associated maintenance costs’.


“The Multask was very well received at the Coventry event,” explained Britplas head of sales, Neil Guest. “We have already received our first orders, and feedback has been very positive.”


THE NETWORK | JULY 2019 7


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