by Greg Sunderland
•
02 Jan, 2022
Countess of Chester Breast Screening Waiting Areas Countess of Chester Hospital (COCH) approached Tritonpeak with a problem. After the initial wave of social distancing restrictions, the clinical capacity was available but patient waiting areas could not accommodate sufficient patients. A second and equally challenging problem was the level of non-attendance for appointments as patients were cautious about being in a small area with other patients. Reducing Breast Screening Waiting lists In a push to reduce waiting lists for breast screening, COCH was looking for a social distancing solution for waiting areas at the Chester Hospital site. Tritonpeak demonstrated how our ceiling mounted solution took up very little space and was easily able to provide retractable segregation between chairs. The Breast Screening unit funded 7 bespoke Tritonshield chair segregation screens which were installed within 2 weeks. The installation of the Tritonshield screens enabled the unit to open up waiting areas and make progress with waiting list reduction for breast screening. Feedback From Breast Care Unit at Chester Both staff and patients have already commented on how effective the shields appear. I’m happy to give some details and think that Steph may be able to provide additional information. Due to the social distancing requirements and also because the patients attending this specific clinics may be particularly vulnerable, capacity had been reduced by more than 50% which was impacting on service delivery. It is critical that these ladies receive an appointment within 2 weeks of referral. Due to increased anxiety about attending hospital appointments during the first and second waves of the pandemic, the service has seen a large increase in demand, increasing the pressure on the service. Following successful installations within another area of the Trust, I contacted your company who were very responsive and able to offer a flexible solution to meet our needs. We had previously trialled fixed screens which were not only unsightly and claustrophobic, but also presented a trip hazard. The installation was extremely well coordinated, with a weekend service provided which didn’t further impact on our service delivery. I felt that this personal approach which showed such empathy to our situation was something which went above and beyond many other companies. The screens are now in place and whilst we cannot increase our capacity to our pre covid levels, due to other factors, we can now increase the numbers within our waiting area to at least 75%. A huge benefit is that patients feel safe and so are more likely to attend their appointments and to pass this onto friends who may also be anxious about attending. The cleaning process is simple and the company offered specific advice to our facilities team to ensure the product remains in prime condition. Ruth Buckley Radiology Services Manager Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust