If the pandemic has taught us anything so far, it’s that we should be immensely proud of our NHS and the many healthcare workers who have kept it running on a daily basis. It’s certainly been an exhausting couple of years!
As we approach Healthcare Science Week, which begins on 14th March this year, we want to take this opportunity to shine a light and celebrate the successes of the 50,000 healthcare science workers.
Much of their work happens behind the scenes in laboratories and science facilities around the country, where testing and R&D lead to important developments that help to save lives. Throughout COVID they have worked tirelessly and under considerable pressure to ensure that medical services continue to operate, often working in new and unprecedented ways.
Supporting the NHS
Throughout these challenging times the NHS has used their extensive experience, knowledge and support structures to adapt.
Suppliers like Whittan have been only too willing to help, ensuring infrastructures were in place so they could operate at optimal efficiency. After all, in a crisis there is no time to be wasted. Products, materials and records must be stored and managed efficiently. Often these things need to be rapidly established in less than perfect environments and conditions.
As storage experts in the healthcare industry, Whittan and our trusted brand Link51 have a long and distinguished pedigree in working with the NHS, private hospitals and in medical research to provide storage solutions that deliver. In fact, we were instrumental in providing storage solutions for the Nightingale hospitals around the UK.
Storage for the NHS
Healthcare storage requirements are vast and complex, and each hospital has its own unique requirements and challenges.
At Whittan we offer a wide range of solutions that we can perfectly tailor to meet your needs. From heavy duty shelves for substantial warehouse loads, safe storage of medical records and supplies, secure facilities for hazardous materials, all the way through to lockers to protect personal belongings of your staff. With limited storage space in most hospital locations, our storage solutions are fully configurable with many models offering the option to add bin fronts, additional shelves, drawers, doors, rails and cradles to cater to a variety of uses.
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Getting the correct storage can be challenging. We were approached by Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) to create a storage solution for their surgical department. Due to the construction of a new laparoscopic theatre, the storeroom had lost 35% of its storage capacity but would need a solution that could meet the 10% increase in storage capacity for equipment and consumables.
Following an audit of the space and storage requirements we specified a bespoke solution using our Link51 products. Two blocks of their Stormor mobile shelving were used for items such as airway and breathing apparatus. The units move along floor tracks removing the need for a permanent aisle between the stacks. When an item is required, the particular shelving bay is identified, and an aisle created by moving the mobile unit apart.
The mobile blocks were interspersed with static Stormor shelving, configured to provide multiple ‘pigeon hole’ storage for smaller items such as suture materials. Additional static shelving incorporated two lockable cabinets for high value surgical equipment. Euro Shelving storage bays provided extra load capacity for the store’s bulkier and heavier items such as pre-packed instrument procedure trays.
Each storage solution is coated in an ActiveCoat antimicrobial coating, to minimise the possibility of bacterial cross contamination for optimal hygiene.
Get in touch
For over 70 years we have supported healthcare and NHS professionals. Get in touch today and find out how we can make a difference for you. Either fill in the form by clicking on the ‘Contact Us’ button below, call us on 01952 682251 or use our live chat to speak to one of our experts now.
