Author Archives: Becca

SSG has made available a range of replacement patient hand units that contain an antimicrobial agent, and which are compatible with the company’s legacy nurse call systems.

“Recognising that many trusts are reinstating mothballed wards due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and others are continuing to use nurse call systems with hand units supplied some time ago and which are not particularly easy to keep clean, we have introduced direct replacement patient hand units for our conventionally-wired, multiplexed, Codem2 and older Codemlon nurse call systems,” comments SSG’s Commercial Director, Chris Turner.

As with the company’s current hand unit product ranges, the replacement units contain the Biomaster silver-based antimicrobial agent which is incorporated during the manufacturing process to help further strengthen the infection control measures already instigated by each hospital. Importantly, the active agent will not degrade over time.

Units are also sealed to IPX7 and can be immersed in a disinfectant solution or cleaned with a sterilising wipe to eliminate bio-hazards and reduce cross-infection risks between users.

Lesley Taylor, Regulatory Affairs Manager for Addmaster, adds: “Biomaster has yet to be tested against Covid-19 on this type of application and currently there is no method available by which it could be tested. However, the microbiology suggests that if Biomaster is effective against Norovirus on porous surfaces, then the active agent is also likely to have an effect on the lipid coating and the essential components required for Covid-19 to function and invade the host.” Read the full report here.

Replacement hand units operate ‘intelligently’ in line with individual nurse call functionality and changeover is simply a matter of replacing old for new.

Added benefits of switching to SSG’s latest units include an extended 5-year warranty provided as standard, and ease of patient use. The products were originally designed with ‘inclusive design’ in mind and were developed in consultation with the RNIB.

A quantity discount is available on replacement legacy hand units for purchases made through SSG’s Spares Department. Contact: 01902 891 633 or e-mail: [email protected].

For further information, please download our patient hand unit and equipment care datasheet.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in demand for the company’s Aspire SmartSync® wireless nurse call system, Static Systems Group (SSG) has boosted production capacity at its manufacturing base near Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

To meet an unprecedented ten-fold increase in demand for its wireless solution, SSG’s in-house technical teams have re-evaluated product build and the manufacturing process in order to speed up production. Additional space has been opened up to accommodate an extra production line, and the factory has introduced extra shifts so it can operate seven days per week; including overtime, weekends and bank holiday working over the Easter period.

“Our workforce – both past and present – has always been a tight-knit community and when word got around that we were increasing production capacity in order to fulfill orders in the shortest time possible, ex-employees asked to be reinstated so they could play their part in supporting NHS staff and improving the well-being of patients,” reports SSG’s Production Director, Philip Marsh.

“We were only too happy to accept their help, and now that we have a larger and stronger staff base in place, we are working with our supply chain to ensure continuity of supply to keep production at this high level.”

Aspire SmartSync® is ideal for emergency back-up to a hospital’s existing nurse call provision or as a permanent solution, and it can work both as a standalone system or connect to a LAN.

Of particular relevance at this challenging time – to help reduce the occurrence of cross infection between users of the system – patient hand units and all buttons on equipment plates have a silver-based antimicrobial agent incorporated during the manufacturing process which will remain active for the life-time of the equipment.

For further information, please visit product overview or e-mail: [email protected].

Static Systems Group introduces Ultima Lite™, a full-IP nurse call solution in a box to support trusts during Covid-19 outbreak.

To help support trusts that are quickly expanding care facilities to treat Covid-19 patients, Static Systems Group (SSG) has invested in the rapid development of a new ‘wired’, full-IP and open protocol nurse call solution. Ultima Lite™ comes supplied as a complete system in a box and serves up to 30 patient beds.

Chris Turner, Commercial Director at SSG comments: “These are unprecedented and extremely difficult times for the NHS. SSG has worked in partnership with the UK healthcare sector for almost 60 years, but never before have we witnessed such high demand for temporary and emergency ‘out-of-the-box’ hospital communication systems.

“With our extensive experience and industry-leading in-house engineering teams, we have rapidly developed a robust and cost-effective, off-the-shelf nurse call solution to meet the demands of this challenging period. With more and more trusts looking to recommission previously mothballed hospital wards, extend existing ward capacity and build entirely new hospitals, demand for this type of solution is, sadly, only expected to rise.”

Ultima Lite™ works by using industry-standard IP LAN networks as its communications platform, which means that power and data are both delivered along a single point-to-point cable. This makes it ideal for the rapid deployment of standalone applications and as an extension to an existing nurse call installation where the reliability of a wired system with standard nurse call functionality is required in a hurry.

VoIP Speech providing intercom functionality can be added for increased patient and staff isolation, along with extra call points, staff indicators and enhanced workflow functionality.

To assist in reducing the occurrence of cross infection between users of the system, patient hand units and all buttons on equipment plates have a silver-based antimicrobial agent incorporated during the manufacturing process which will remain active for the life-time of the product.

Additional benefits include market-leading resilience and reliability, ease of use, and extended warranties provided as standard.

Turner concludes: “Ultima Lite™ sits alongside our popular SmartSync Lite™ ‘wireless’ solution and gives trusts a choice of emergency call system that best meets the technology requirements of each individual application. Where trusts require additional guidance and support at this time our team of account managers – assisted by our technical teams – are available to help. We can also provide installation services and telephone technical support.”

For further information visit product overview or e-mail: [email protected].

In order to prepare for the predicted rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the capital, the Bart’s Health NHS Trust made the decision to fit out a brand new 176-bed Critical Care Unit in an area spanning the 14th and 15th floors of the hospital which had been left at shell and core at the time of the PFI scheme handover in 2012.

SSG was one of a number of specialist sub-contractors brought on board to fit out the new Critical Care Unit from scratch in just five weeks in order to have the new facility ready to accept patients from 1st May 2020. SSG was appointed by one of the project’s M&E contractors, ABCA Systems Ltd, to install the unit’s nurse call system and bedhead services trunking, and to provide a fire alarm interface between the unit’s new fire alarm system and the existing SSG site-wide fire alarm network.

The main challenge on this project was to design and manufacture all of the nurse call and bedhead services trunking equipment in an extremely short space of time to enable onsite mobilisation in a working hospital.

An order was received at the end of March and SSG was advised that all systems had to be operational by the 1st May. Within a week or so of getting the drawings approved by ABCA Systems Ltd and the Trust, the first fix equipment was on site.

A project of this type would typically take around eight or nine months to complete, but the SSG team completed the works in just 18 days, working from 7am-7pm every day, including weekends, to build, install and test the nurse call system and bedhead services trunking on site. Some of the company’s engineers worked away from home for the duration of the works.

Chris Meilak, Project Manager on the Royal London COVID-19 project, comments: “This extremely rapid deployment was only made possible due to the excellent co-operation and communication between all members of the SSG project team. Everyone from our factory and manufacturing teams through to our stores, CAD engineers, technical services department and our onsite installation team worked brilliantly together in order to get this challenging project delivered on time. Our collaborative approach to working with ABCA Systems Ltd, one of the main contractors on the project, worked really well and the project also benefitted from our knowledge and experience of previous similar schemes. We managed to have the systems installed, tested and commissioned ready for handover on 27th April, four days ahead of schedule.”

To add to the challenge of meeting the tight project deadline, the design for the unit was constantly evolving which meant we had to adjust our designs for the nurse call system and bedhead trunking while on site.

Furthermore, works had to be aligned and operate in conjunction with all the other suppliers and contractors working under pressure on the project, which proved challenging at times.

IHEEM West Midlands’ latest branch meeting was hosted by SSG at the company’s Design & Innovation Centre near Wolverhampton in late November 2019. Close to 30 attendees representing a cross-section of estates personnel and healthcare suppliers took part.

The CPD-certified event comprised two presentations, with attendees encouraged to share their views and experiences. The first presentation, held in the facility’s Repeatable Rooms’ four-bed bay, focused on ‘smart’ hospitals and the latest applications to help keep patients safe and empower care teams. The second presentation, held in Static Systems’ Innovation Ward, explored the impact that ward design can have on a patient’s well-being and recovery.

A common thread throughout the event was the real benefits to be achieved through collaborative working.

Smart hospitals and the future of healthcare communications

Developments in technology are influencing the way hospitals operate and enabling them to become ‘smarter’ than ever before. As part of this revolution, we are witnessing significant changes in the ways staff engage with colleagues and patients; in the delivery of mission-critical support for healthcare applications; in the importance of information technology in improving patient well-being, safety and experience; and in the ways system providers are supporting healthcare engineering teams.

Branch members met with Static Systems’ Product Manager, Matt Wakelam, who outlined the benefits of the latest nurse call and healthcare communication solutions which are already being used by forward-thinking trusts to establish patient-centred healthcare environments and universal digital healthcare platforms.

Solutions discussed and demonstrated included medical devices and sensor technologies, VoIP telephony, smart devices, RTLS systems, EPR/EMR, CCTV and access control – all of which work seamlessly with nurse call and can easily integrate into a hospital’s IP infrastructure.

The impact of interior design on patient well-being and collaborative working

Matt Clutton, another of Static Systems’ product managers, explained that the company’s focus has shifted from just being on the equipment to also being on the actual design of the ward space itself. He explained that through working with interior design specialists, Grosvenor Interiors, Static Systems has changed the way in which it has approached both the refurbishment of the Innovation Ward and the design of its latest bedhead services trunking product. Both are examples of how integrated design can enhance the patient room in order to improve well-being and assist in a speedy recovery.

Static Systems’ Marketing Manager, Jennie Terry, comments: “We engage with IHEEM as a company affiliate and are always pleased to welcome their members and colleagues to our Design & Innovation Centre. Events such as this one offer positive benefits for members including CPD and invaluable networking opportunities. Furthermore, the informality encourages the free flow of questions and feedback which I am sure is useful to everyone. As a systems provider and product manufacturer, the discussions which ensue are valuable to us in our development of future solutions.”

Static Systems Group welcomes visitors to its Design & Innovation Centre which is available for meetings and can also be used by the wider industry to test, trial and develop conceptual ideas and new solutions. For further information, e-mail: [email protected]

On 14th November 2019 we were delighted to welcome delegates from the 2019 UK-China Green Hospital Summit to our Design & Innovation Centre at our headquarters near Wolverhampton.

Co-organised by The Building Centre, MIC and China Design Centre, and supported by Healthcare UK, this year’s summit was held in London from 11th – 17th November and brought together influential Chinese hospital and state-owned company leaders, government officials and healthcare architects for an interactive discussion with UK healthcare specialists about smart and sustainable hospital design and development.

Subjects explored included: future trends in UK and Chinese hospitals; smart hospital systems and their design and construction; the use of green materials and digital innovation in health management.

We were thrilled that our Design & Innovation Centre was chosen as a venue for a site visit during the summit. 14 of the summit’s Chinese delegates joined our managing director, product manager and head of sales who, through an interpreter, outlined the leading-edge technology being incorporated into our nurse call, patient safety and healthcare communication solutions.

The aim of the UK-China Summit, the third since 2015, was to strengthen the academic and practical exchanges of co-operation between the two countries. Accordingly, British healthcare experts and architects connected with Chinese hospital leaders in order to understand the trends of the smart hospital development – helping to facilitate collaborative opportunities between the UK and China within the healthcare industry.

We welcome healthcare specialists, clinical teams, design groups, constructors and other interested parties to our Design & Innovation Centre. To find out more or to arrange a visit, email: [email protected]

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) has appointed Static Systems Group to upgrade the nurse call and bedhead services trunking in Ward C5 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, the site’s dedicated Dialysis Unit.

Ward C5 is set to become the first in the country to benefit from Vistr Headwall®, Static Systems’ latest bedhead trunking solution which has been designed specifically to help create a therapeutic healthcare environment that is conducive to patient well-being and a speedy recovery.

The 33-bed ward provides care for patients with general medical and kidney conditions. As well as four single occupancy rooms, it has six dedicated dialysis beds. The ward’s existing nurse call and bedhead services trunking had been in place for some 25 years and no longer met the Trust’s requirements, so the decision was made to undertake a complete system upgrade. The Trust was already familiar with Static Systems’ solutions as they are used throughout many of the hospital’s other wards. As such, they were confident that Static Systems could meet their requirements to deliver market-leading solutions.

The Trust initially considered installing Static Systems’ Modus Vertical solution as it is the preferred trunking solution on site. However, Static Systems and the appointed interior designer on the project, Grosvenor Interiors, who worked closely together from the outset of the project, put forward an alternative solution: Vistr Headwall.

Vistr Headwall features a decorative graphic fascia that truly enhances a patient’s surroundings by incorporating light and colour. Manufactured to an uncompromising standard using flame retardant materials, the graphic can be specified to complement the ward or building décor where the unit will be located. Grosvenor Interiors will supply the graphics for the headwall units on Ward C5.

The Trust recognised that Vistr Headwall would better meet their requirements, namely creating a more visually appealing and relaxing environment for the ward’s dialysis patients. The unit incorporates all the essential patient bedhead services and allows for easy access to these services for clinical staff, but also keeps them out of direct sight of patients and visitors.

Static Systems’ Codemlon™ loop wired addressable nurse call system was identified as the best solution for the upgrade. Codemlon is a tried and tested product with an enviable track record in the healthcare sector, serving more acute hospital wards in the UK than any other nurse call system.

The Ward C5 upgrade project was completed in November 2019.

SSG has been appointed to design, supply and install the fire alarm and management system at the new Royal Papworth Hospital, a state-of-the-art specialist heart and lung hospital situated adjacent to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The new system encompasses 15 networked fire alarm panels and in excess of 4,000 addressable devices, including 1,900 detectors. The system was overseen by Skanska’s appointed building services engineers, Troup Bywaters + Anders, who also set the outline brief.

The new hospital features:-

• Five operating theatres, five catheter laboratories and two hybrid theatres.
• 14 isolation rooms.
• Approximately 300 single beds, plus a 46-bed critical care unit and 24 day beds – most of which are en-suite individual rooms.
• A centrally located Outpatients Unit offering a wide range of diagnostic and treatment facilities.
• An atrium on the ground floor with a restaurant, coffee shop and convenience store.

One of the biggest challenges we had to address during the design process was the significant requirement for the site-wide fire alarm system to interface with different systems – including fire dampers, air handling plant, and smoke extraction – in order to provide a completely integrated system that manages the air flow and smoke extraction to safely direct smoke throughout the building. In addition, the system also interfaces with security, nurse call and sprinkler systems.

Chris Smith, Head of Project Delivery at Static Systems Group, explains: “With different systems and equipment being installed simultaneously, there was a significant amount of co-ordination required to ensure they would interface together. We also needed to understand where they were being installed and how they were being fitted to ensure there were no physical clashes of equipment and materials.”

When working on a new build project of this scale, early engagement and close collaboration with all parties involved in the design and supply of the fire engineering systems are essential to its success. In the case of the new Royal Papworth Hospital, those suppliers responsible for the fire alarm, building management systems, damper and duct work worked closely together from the outset.

During the design process, for example, frequent project meetings were held on site where representatives of the suppliers came together with Skanska’s construction team and Troup Bywaters + Anders to discuss design issues and integration requirements.

Chris explains the benefit of this approach: “Early engagement made a huge difference to the progress of the project. Our early engagement throughout the pre-construction phase meant we could provide detailed advice on our system rather than a generic product being built into the scheme at a very early stage. This meant that by the time construction started, we already had a robust design.”

Evacuation planning was also a key consideration when designing the fire engineering system for the new Royal Papworth Hospital. In the event of a fire, hospitals typically have a phased evacuation process, whereby a fire in a zone would result in the affected zone being evacuated and adjacent areas being given an alert. However, at the Royal Papworth Hospital, the Trust wanted to create a bespoke operation when it came to the ward areas. As each ward area went across more than one of the fire zones for the building, the Trust wanted an evacuation process based on the ward areas rather than on the fire zones. We were able to design the system to meet this requirement.

Following the installation of the fire engineering system at the Royal Papworth Hospital there was a considerable period of testing to ensure that all the systems met the rigorous criteria of Skanska and its client, Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The whole installation and testing period went very well, and the Royal Papworth Hospital’s patients, staff and visitors are now protected by a reliable and highly sophisticated system that will have a significant lifespan.

We will continue to be actively involved in the site, providing ongoing system maintenance in partnership with the hospital’s facilities management company.

SSG has designed, installed and commissioned a full end-to-end open protocol IP nurse call system for Spire Nottingham Hospital, which is owned and operated by Spire Healthcare, one of the UK’s leading independent hospital groups.
Spire Nottingham Hospital has been purpose-built with future technology in mind. The hospital offers a range of clinical specialties, including complex Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, General Surgery, Gynaecology, Urology and Cosmetic Surgery. Routine and complex procedures for adults and children are undertaken at the hospital.

The hospital has 42 private en-suite rooms, 11 day-case beds, 4 theatres including a hybrid theatre, an Endoscopy Suite, on-site MRI, CT, X-ray, Ultrasound and Mammography, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy. Spire Nottingham Hospital is rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.

Two years prior to work starting on the site, Static Systems Group was invited by Spire Healthcare to present the very latest in nurse call solutions and associated technologies and was then tasked with developing the project’s scope of work, generating drawings and writing the specification – all prior to the contract being put out to tender.

Static Systems was subsequently successful in the tender process and was appointed to design, install and commission a solution which would meet Spire Healthcare’s specific requirements. These included the flexibility to add to the nurse call system either at the time of design or post installation, automatic nurse presence, two-way Speech, VoIP integration, catering call and a minimum system life cycle of 20 – 25 years.

Matt Thompson, Senior Account Manager at Static Systems, comments: “Having been involved in scoping the project two years prior to work commencing on site, we had a very clear understanding of Spire Healthcare’s requirements. Our project team held a number of meetings with the client team regarding the LAN set up and how this would communicate with their own LAN. We also held discussions around two-way speech and how this could be linked to the hospital’s VoIP systems.”

The chosen solution for Spire Nottingham Hospital was Static Systems’ full end-to-end open protocol IP Ultima™ solution. Ultima is cost-effective, future-proof and specially designed for multi-disciplined, ward and site-wide communication. It works seamlessly with Static Systems’ Fusion Healthcare Platform to offer an extensive range of advanced facilities to assist with task management and promote patient well-being.

Ultima can be set up on clients’ networks, however in this instance Static Systems designed and installed an independent network for the nurse call system and bridged across to Spire Healthcare’s LAN network. This avoided the need to install an additional network around the hospital simply to connect the 13 nurse call systems together. It also allows Static Systems to output nurse call data – such as call logs, onto the hospital’s own computers.

Some of the main features that Ultima is enabling at Spire Nottingham include Patient Call, Bathroom Call, Staff Call, Cardiac Call, Catering Call, Staff Attack, Bed Exit Alarm, Bed Light Control, Automated Nurse Presence, VoIP Two-way Speech, Call Logging with the facility to log all calls and resetting against a time and date (allowing senior staff members to investigate the system and report back on nurse call activations), Call Transfer across all the hospital’s nurse call systems (allowing the transfer of calls between departments and wards) and VoIP Phone System Integration.

Matt Thompson concludes: “Spire Nottingham is a prestigious project and we were delighted to have played a key role in designing and installing its nurse call system. As we were involved at such an early stage in the project, we were ideally placed to design a solution which would not only meet Spire Healthcare’s immediate requirements, but which would also provide a future-proof system that can be adapted to incorporate and integrate with new healthcare communications technologies as and when these come to market. The project was completed ahead of schedule, the installation process ran smoothly, and the system is performing very well.”