Specialist beds paid for by our readers for a charity appeal have been replaced after just three years as part of the fight against ‘superbugs’ at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The Chronicle’s Umbrella Appeal was held to equip the newly-built stroke and rehabilitation unit at RSH after a shortfall in funding for essential items.
Top of the ‘wish-list’ were 23 electric patient-controlled profiling beds at a cost of £30,000, which bosses said they could not afford.
Thanks to generous public support, the beds were provided three years ago and the appeal reached its £200,000 target at the end of 2007.
But appeal manager Josie Mitchell said she was shocked to be told, after everyone’s hard work, that the beds would be replaced as the hospital now undergoes a ‘deep clean’.
The beds bought by the Umbrella Appeal are to be given to other hospitals in Whitchurch, Bishop’s Castle and Welshpool.
Josie told the Chronicle: “They are going to other hospitals in the area so that other stroke patients can benefit, but it came as a big shock for me because we have been hammering on for the last four or five years that patients needed specialist beds and ended up having to buy them ourselves.
“It’s fantastic that the hospital has now realised that it should go for the beds that are the best for patients, but it’s a shame they did not listen to us earlier. We would not have had to spend £30,000 on those beds. We have only had them three years but they would normally last a good ten years.” The trust has replaced the beds like-for-like and a plaque will be erected stating that the original 23 were paid for by the Umbrella Appeal.
Josie added that the completion of the ‘deep clean’ on their ward also meant they were now able to use three new patient monitoring units for the first time.The £17,000 equipment could not be installed until the cleaning was finished and enables patients to be admitted directly from A&E.
The ‘deep clean’ is being carried out as part of the fight against hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and only new beds are being put back on its wards.
A survey of the hospital’s bed stock also found that 77 per cent were ‘in need of replacement’ and figures presented to the December trust board meeting put the cost at around £240,000.
A spokesman for the hospital said: “The trust is extremely grateful to the Umbrella Appeal for all of its dedicated support.
“The trust has decided to replace the beds because it ties in with the thorough clean that is taking place and it means only new beds will be put back on the wards.”
