2 December 2008
The Clinical Assessment Unit at St Helier Hospital has drafted in six new four legged friends to help make life more comfortable for patients with minor injuries who don’t need a bed.
The six 'easy chairs', which cost £500 each, are perfect for patients to use while a decision is made about their care. It also gets them out of the busy A&E department and helps avoid unnecessarily taking up a bed. The beds are used for patients with non life-threatening conditions, including leg ulcers, cellulitis or bites. Each reclining chair can be adjusted and comes with a foot rest.
Ward sister, Hilary Bennett, said they are being put to good use. She said: "The chairs have allowed patients with minor injuries to be seated comfortably, freeing up bed space for patients with more urgent needs."
Hilary added: "Busy A&E places are not ideal areas for patients to wait to receive their test results. These new easy chairs allow our patients with non urgent conditions to sit in comfortable surroundings while they wait for test results and for a decision to be made about where or how they should be treated."
The Clinical Assessment Unit at St Helier treats between 30 to 60 patients each day with a range of conditions including respiratory, epilepsy, head injury, chest and abdominal pains.
