Teams who provided hundreds of extra beds for Kings College Hospital at start of pandemic are nominated for award
A crisis bed-juggling scheme brought in at the start of the Covid pandemic has been nominated for an award.
Staff at King’s College Hospital (KCH) in Camberwell were given a massive boost in their battle against the rising tide of cases when they received an influx of 612 beds across 43 wards.
They came in just eight weeks from June to July 2020 from bed maker Medstrom and their Kings College Hospital distributors KFM.
Medstrom and KFM are now finalists in the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Partnership Awards 2022 for their bed replacement programme.
KCH was operating at full capacity when the beds were delivered. Staff had to overcome challenges with logistics, keeping workplaces operational, and pandemic restrictions.
They did so, to ensure a successful replacement process to improve patient care.
The new equipment was chosen because they cut the number of falls and pressure ulcer incidents. They were also easier for staff to use and reduced the risks of moving and handling patients.
Judging will take place on 14 February 2022.
Jo Jones, Director of Managed Services at KFM, a subsidiary of King’s College Hospital providing healthcare support services, said: “The scale of what was achieved within the tight timescale is a testament to the planning, organisation, commitment and passion of all those involved and the expertise they brought.
Medstrom’s expertise is invaluable and alongside our Bed and Equipment Team ensured minimal disruption to patient care.”
Rachel Apsey, Commercial Director at Medstrom, said: “Medstrom and KFM have combined their vast experience in healthcare to successfully deliver this project in very challenging circumstances.
All at Medstrom are passionate about delivering the best patient care and I’m delighted that we could help to achieve that through this partnership.”
KFM, a subsidiary of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, supplies healthcare support services, with all profits reinvested in the NHS.
Pictured: The Medstrom bed implementation team