Protected: Patient Turning Device

NB Demonstration video does not show current product – the product is still in development

The Patient Turning Device is a manual handling aid to lighten the burden of turning a patient from a supine to prone position and vice versa by giving a mechanical advantage to the turning operation.  It supports NHS standard turning procedures, but by reducing the physical work required per individual it reduces the number of medical staff required for the procedure from 5-8 down to around 3. It can be used beneath a standard mattress.

The hinge in the Patient Turning Device significantly reduces the effort taken to turn a patient, which has a big impact on the number of carers required for the procedure.  Current standard guidelines (SOP) require 5-8 staff to be present in an ICU prone positioning procedure, depending on the size and weight of the patient.  However, with the added mechanical advantage of the Patient Turning Device, this number can be reduced to 3, having a significant impact on staffing requirements in over-burdened ICUs and wards.

The turning process supports the NHS standard patient turning procedures and prone positioning critical care guidelines*.  The steps of the turning process remain unchanged, with a patient requiring 3 staff to cocoon, slide and prepare for the turn.  At this point, extra staff are usually required to make the physical turn.  However with the Patient Turning Device the number of “turners” can normally be safely reduced to the original 3 staff.  The hinged board provides leverage to reduce the effort required to turn a patient.  The hinge is positioned outside the main mattress area so that it does not cause any discomfort or pressure point issues, leaving the mattress surface smooth and flat for the patient to lie on, and ensuring that nothing hinders the horizontal move (slide) step in the process.

This product works effectively to assist turning both conscious and unconscious patients.

The last gallery image shows an alternative design – please see Options section for further details.

*Guidance for: Prone Positioning in Adult Critical Care”, published in November 2019 by the Intensive care Society and Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine

*ICS Guidance for Prone Positioning of the Conscious COVID Patient 2020