5 October 2009
Patients at Epsom and St Helier hospitals are sleeping a little easier, thanks to an investment of £100,000 in brand new mattresses and beds.
The money paid for 200 new mattresses, which if they were stacked up end to end, would be taller than the Empire State Building - the third tallest skyscraper in America. It also paid for 23 state-of-the-art electric beds for patients who need extra support moving and six special birthing beds for the Trust's two maternity units.
Half of the mattresses are designed to support people of average weight, with the remainder able to support up to 50 stone (more than 317kg).
And it's not just patients that will benefit from the new delivery, as the Trust has spent £50,000 on brand new electric 'profiling' beds. The Trust was one of the first in the country to get the beds, which raise up in four different sections. This flexibility not only makes the beds more comfortable for patients, but allows doctors to assess patients easily and means that nurses don't have to raise the bed manually.
Deputy Director of Nursing, Julie Sobrattee, said: "The comfort and safety of our patients is our top priority, and the new beds and mattresses are really going to help us make sure every patient we treat is as relaxed, well-rested and as comfortable as possible.
"That's why we are so pleased to announce such a large investment into new beds and mattresses. We hope everyone coming in for a stay at one of our hospitals will be able to get better in comfortable and welcoming surroundings."
The money spent on beds and mattresses is part of the Trust's capital development programme, which will see more than £9.1 million being spent on upgrading hospital equipment and facilities over the next year.
Other funds from the programme will be used to fund large projects, including spending £550,000 refurbishing Alexandra ward at Epsom Hospital, a £300,000 refurbishment of the day surgery unit at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children and a hundred thousand pounds upgrading staff accommodation for nurses and doctors.
In parallel, the Trust has recently launched a plan to spend more than £190 million developing the St Helier Hospital site and is developing a vision to spend up to £70 million at Epsom Hospital, which excludes any additional investment we might receive from third parties, such as charities.
