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to hear from Jo May, Frailty and Falls Matron in the Acute Frailty Unit, about the Marsden M-999 Patient Transfer Scale and how it will benefit patients at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.
The Patient Transfer Scale allows staff to weigh time critical or immobile patients in seconds. It is a transfer slide with in-built weighing scale, and allows patients to be weighed during lateral transfer from trolley to bed, or bed to bed with little disruption to the patient and staff time.
Frailty is a condition which is categorized by evidence of unintentional weight loss. Deconditioning is also a part of the frailty picture and good maintenance of nutritional intake is important to maintain muscle bulk and the strength for functional mobility.
Frail patients are also at high risk of polypharmacy and changes in body mass and system functions affecting the efficacy of medication making weighing patients an essential part of their management. Frail patients when first admitted to the Acute Frailty Unit, if they are able to mobilise are encouraged to do so and can sit on the seat scales, but for some patients on first admission, they are unable to transfer so getting an early weight for them is problematic but essential.
Weighing a patient at the point they are admitted to hospital will be made easier with the Patient Transfer Scale. Medication prescribing and treatment will be more accurate for those that are immobile or require a bed/hoist scale instead of using estimates. Using this new equipment will make the weighing and admission process a lot more comfortable for the patient and will help to maintain their dignity. Currently the Acute Frailty Unity does not have their own bed and hoist weighing scales for those who are immobile, therefore estimates are usually made, or lots of time is spent in obtaining the right equipment from elsewhere in the hospital.
This piece of equipment will allow the Acute Frailty Unit to weigh patients as soon as they are brought round from the Emergency Department; enabling patients who require dietician referral and supported dietary intake to get the support they need sooner. It will also enable the doctors to ensure that dosages of medications are appropriate for our more vulnerable patients.
for the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester
“The Marsden M-999 Patient Transfer Scale is able to weigh patients in seconds during transfer from trolley to bed or bed to bed due to the in-built weighing scale. The Patient Transfer Scale is portable, quick and easy to use and has a maximum load capacity of 250kg which will also cater for our bariatric patients. Intensive testing of this equipment has meant that the Marsden M-999 Patient Transfer Scale delivers precision weighing to class III medical standards. The weight of a patient is crucial to delivering the right care and treatment, therefore the Marsden M-999 Patient Transfer Scale provides confidence and accuracy in the process.
It will enable staff to weigh patients as they are admitted to the Unit from ED to enable us to ensure that they are on the correct medication and meal options as soon as possible”