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Month: October 2024

Prism acquires the ‘Oxford’ product range and Joerns Healthcare’s UK business

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Posted on by Liz.Lepley

We are delighted to announce that on 30th October 2024 Joerns Healthcare’s UK business, including the ‘Oxford’ range of products, became part of the Prism Healthcare Group. With a heritage dating back to the 1950s, Oxford is one of the leading brands in the patient handling and rehabilitation product markets.

The Oxford brand specialises in clinical hoisting equipment, slings and bathing equipment. The Oxford product ranges represent a strategic addition to the Prism Healthcare Group, which is dedicated to transforming lives in the home, long-term care, acute care and paediatric settings. Prism will take on board the full Oxford product set, including the ‘Professional’ and ‘Classic’ ranges as well as complementary bathing products, slings and other products supplied by Joerns UK. Within its core UK market, Joerns UK is a supplier to the community equipment market via loan store operators and independent local authorities, as well as to NHS Trusts, care homes and dealers.

The acquisition of Joerns UK is expected to strengthen Prism’s position as one of the UK’s leading providers of safe patient handling, pressure area care and specialist seating equipment for individuals with limited mobility.
Chris Morgan, Managing Director of Joerns UK, will take on an expanded role within the enlarged Prism group. He will lead Prism’s UK Homecare and Acute Care businesses, including leading the Joerns UK team within the enlarged UK group.

Chris Morgan comments:
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Prism Healthcare Group in this exciting new era and to continue the positive development of our company. I love working with the fantastic people in this industry and am delighted that the Prism group will support us to continue our successful growth. This will be for the shared benefit of our customers, our team and our supply chain partners.”

Jason Leek, CEO Prism Healthcare Group, adds:
“The Oxford range of products is an exciting addition to the Prism Healthcare Group. This acquisition strengthens our product offering, supports our expansion into the acute market and, most importantly, allows us to provide our customers a broader offer. I am very excited that we can expand the value-add offering for our customers as well as enhancing our relationships with our suppliers. I am delighted to welcome Chris Morgan and the Joerns team to the group and look forward to working together”.

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Prism Medical UK Returns to the Occupational Therapy Show in 2024

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Posted on by Liz.Lepley

Join us at the NEC Birmingham on November 27th and 28th to explore our comprehensive range of healthcare solutions and expertise.

Prism Medical UK is excited to exhibit at the upcoming Occupational Therapy (OT) Show. Collaborating with industry partners Harvest Healthcare, Repose Furniture, and HME Limited, we are excited to showcase our specialist equipment tailored to address various healthcare needs, including single-handed care, patient transfers, paediatric care, pressure area management and speciality seating.

Comprehensive Range of Products and Services:

Our dedicated team, comprised of experts from Prism Medical UK and our partner companies, will be at booth G40 to say hello and answer any questions you may have. They will provide insightful demonstrations of our extensive product lineup, carefully designed to meet the diverse demands of the healthcare sector, ensuring you leave with a clear understanding of our solutions.

Highlighted offerings include:

Launching at the OT Show:

We’re excited to showcase our latest innovation at the OT Show. The Prism CPR reversible hoist is for caregivers and healthcare facilities seeking a versatile, cost-effective patient mobility solution. Prism CPR is a dual-function ceiling track hoist that seamlessly transitions between fixed and portable tracks, offering unparalleled flexibility from a single unit.

Unlike traditional hoists requiring separate systems for fixed and portable tracks, Prism CPR streamlines operations, reducing equipment costs and ensuring consistent, high-quality care across different settings.

Interactive Workshops and Clinics:

In addition to product showcases, we proudly present a series of interactive workshops and clinics in collaboration with HME Limited, the Moving and Handling Experts.

The workshops will provide attendees with valuable insights into patient transfers between bed and chair, including a sling measurement and self-assessment refresher.

These workshops are not just informative, but also interactive and fluid, encouraging active participation, questions, and real-world challenges. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, these workshops promise valuable takeaways to enhance your practice and a chance to engage with your peers.

Our clinics offer an opportunity for one-on-one discussions with our expert team. This is the perfect setting to address complex cases and gain expert advice.

Our workshops and clinics will run at the following times:

Mastering Patient Transfers: Shower Chair to Bed

This session will cover sling measurement, choosing the appropriate sling, fitting the sling to a client in a shower chair, hoisting from the shower chair to a bed, and sling removal.

  • 27th November, 10.30-11.15
  • 28th November, 13.00-13.45

Mastering Patient Transfers: Bed to Chair

This session will cover sling measurement, choosing the appropriate sling, fitting the sling to a client on a bed, hoisting from the bed to a chair, and sling removal.

  • 27th November, 13.30-14.15
  • 28th November, 10.00-10.45

Ask The Expert Clinic

  • 27th November, 11.15-12.00 and 14.15-15.00
  • 28th November, 10.45-11.30 and 13.45-14.30

Join Us at Stand G40:

Prism Medical UK and our partners look forward to welcoming you at stand G40 during the OT Show 2024. We invite you to explore our comprehensive range of healthcare solutions, gain insights from industry experts, and participate in engaging workshops and clinics.

Take advantage of this opportunity to participate in an event dedicated to promoting occupational therapy and achieving excellence in healthcare. Mark your calendars for November 27th and 28th – we can’t wait to see you at the NEC Birmingham. Together, we can transform lives and make a lasting impact on the world of healthcare.

If you’re attending the show, we invite you to stop by stand G40 and say hello! We look forward to meeting you and discussing how our solutions can meet your healthcare needs.

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Case Story: Adapting for Accessibility and Family Care for Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

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Posted on by Liz.Lepley

The Situation

Clare* was seeking advice and support for her mother, Helen*, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). She was preparing for her mother to move into a specially designed garden room at their Wakefield home. To ensure proper care for Helen, they needed a suitable hoist to safely transfer her between the living area, bedroom, and bathroom. However, installing the hoist into a portable timber cabin presented a significant challenge, as the walls and ceiling could not support the loads created by a traditional ceiling track hoist installation.

The Approach

Our local assessor, Gary Swain, visited the family with the Authority’s Disability Projects Officer (DPO) to see whether we could install a ceiling track hoist within the prefabricated timber building. The family had recently installed the garden room to enable Helen to live freely in her own environment with the reassurance of having her daughter and family close by to provide round-the-clock support.

Although the annex was in good condition and installed securely on a concrete base, Gary quickly recognised that several significant issues would need to be addressed before installing a hoist.

  • The cabin’s structure (timber clad and mounted on a steel sub-frame, resting on a concrete base) was assessed as unsuitable to carry the load caused by a ceiling track hoist.
  • The ceiling height within the cabin was severely limited, meaning that transfers may be limited due to restricted height.
  • The assessment of the client’s needs indicated that a hoist with a 130kg capacity would be required.

The Plan

Working with the family, the projects officer, and external building contractors, Gary designed an internal steel frame to carry the hoist and client’s load. By creating a standalone frame anchored to the concrete base, Helen could hoist safely without loading and compromising the cabin’s structure.

It was also agreed that the cabin’s low false ceiling would be removed to provide extra height to allow the hoist to work effectively.

Gary provided a preliminary sketch (Figure 1) outlining the additional steelwork, electrical connection and hoist installation. He then worked with the supplier to ensure the new steelwork was fabricated to the correct dimensions and specifications to support the load and avoid corrosion or tarnishing.

Preliminary sketch for a ceiling track installation.
Figure 1 Preliminary sketch.

The Solution

A builder completed the work to add the new galvanised steel supports (Figure 2), remove the old ceiling, install the electrical supply, and restore the cabin’s interior.

 

Prism Medical’s specialist programme team coordinated the ceiling track hoist installation, meaning our hoist engineers could quickly follow once the primary works were finished. The hoist, which was also tested to meet all regulatory requirements, was installed in less than a day, enabling Helen to move into her purpose-built garden room close to her daughter and family.

Steelwork fitted for a track hoist.
Figure 2 The innovative steel framework provides a secure fixing for the hoist gantry and ensures that the cabin’s frame or cladding does not take any of the hoist's loading.

The Outcome

The design and installation of Helen’s new hoist required careful coordination between Prism Medical, the council, and the builder, with the family and carers involved at each stage.

Most importantly, Helen has been able to remain comfortable, cared for, and safe in her familiar environment within her daughter’s family home.

Weight testing the newly installed ceiling track hoist.
Figure 3 The newly installed hoist undergoing load testing in the freshly decorated bedroom area.

*Client names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals.

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