North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust provides services to more than 400,000 people living in Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, East Durham and parts of Sedgefield.
NHS North Tees and Hartlepool NHS foundation trust is an integrated hospital and community services healthcare organisation.
The Trust is facing a challenge to design an innovative trolley on which to transport deceased patients through the existing hospital. When a patient passes away, the body is transferred from ward to mortuary through the Trust premises, on an outdated ‘mortuary trolley’. Their concern is that seeing this transportation happen can cause stress and anxiety for patients, visitors and staff at the hospital.
While the process of transportation cannot be changed, the challenge is to design a trolley that makes the process more dignified for the deceased and discreet for those who witness the journey.
The deceased
There can be a lack of discretion for those who have passed during transportation through the hospital wards and corridors.
The deceased
Those who have passed are transported with full discretion.
Patients
Use of the current ‘mortuary trolley’ is indiscreet and can cause distress to those witnessing its use.
Patients
Patients are now unaware of the transportation of deceased patients, taking away the stress and anxiety previously linked to seeing the trolley.
Visitors
Visiting relatives in hospital is often worrying enough without seeing the transportation of deceased patients on indiscreet trolleys.
Visitors
Visitors can remain focused on visiting their loved ones without the stress and anxiety of seeing deceased patients on trolleys.
Staff
While hospital staff have to deal with death and illness every day, the sight of body removal is an unnecessary addition to their working environment.
Staff
Staff members are able to focus on their own jobs without being subjected to additional emotional distress.
Equipment
The trolleys used to transfer deceased patients from ward to mortuary – often known as mortuary trolleys – are outdated and indiscreet. The design and use of the current trolleys makes the process of transportation obvious and undignified.
Equipment
| Equipment
The process of transporting deceased people to the mortuary is now invisible to staff, patients and visitors thanks to the design of the product used. |
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