Croydon University Hospital ICU

The Consultation Process
It was clear that an ‘off the shelf’ solution would not deliver everything the department needed. This is where Agile stepped in. As equipment manufacturers, we can customise our products and create something unique and highly specialised. Our Project Manager worked with the team at Croydon University Hospital to gather requirements and ideas.

As Timothy Kuhn, Head of Nursing for Critical Care explained, “Designing the trolley has been a team effort. We had input from every level of the Unit, from the doctors to the HCAs.”

Getting input from the equipment users is very important, and it is something we encourage our clients to do. This involved not only their ‘wish list’ but also feedback about what wasn’t working efficiently with the existing equipment.

Our Solution
The Agile Medical design team came up with an ICU cart with a number of key features;

• Smaller footprint so easier to work around and store
• Colour-coded drugs drawer
• Safety locking feature that auto-locks after 5 seconds
• Nine drawers
• Magnetic whiteboard for quick reference patient information

Timothy Kuhn commented, “We decided that we needed all our fast-moving items, such as syringes, in one drawer, so they are in easy reach. We then selected specific drawers for different types of items. Previously, all the airways items weren’t in one place, so it took time to locate everything you needed. Now all airways equipment is in one drawer, which has made it so much easier to locate everything we need.

All our hygiene items, such as linens and wipes, are in a closed drawer, which helps to avoid contamination. The lockable drawers ensure that it isn’t easy for people to just dump items in the wrong drawer, which is really helping to keep them organised.”

Easy communication
One of the unusual features on the cart is the magnetic whiteboard. This acts as a two-way communication tool that allows staff to reference specific patient information quickly. It is also used to display information about the care team to the patient and even display family photos or items to help patients feel reassured and at ease.

Additional security
One of the issues with the previous cart was that it relied on users remembering to lock the drawers. And, in a high-pressure environment, sometimes this was missed, causing potential medication safety breaches.
The locking feature on this trolley auto locks after 5 seconds, so it doesn’t rely on people remembering, keeping drugs secure at all times.

Improved efficiency
With the trolleys in action, they are proving to be far more efficient and time-saving. They are topped up twice daily by the HCAs or junior technicians, meaning the nurses have more time to spend by the patient’s bedside rather than going back and forth to find the items they need.

Working with Agile
This is just the sort of project we love getting involved in, listening to the needs of our customers, and delivering a highly customised solution. “The Agile Medical Team has been very helpful. They are hands-on and offered all the support we needed to make this amazing trolley.”