Revolutionary New Technology Could Reduce Cost of Pressure Sores
Breakthrough technology in medical mattresses introduced to healthcare market.
A breakthrough technology in medical mattresses was recently introduced to the healthcare market, which could reduce the cost of pressure sores to the medical industry in terms of treatment and potential clinical negligence claims.
ClimaCare from Surface Care - a division of the GNG Group - is a mattress or wheelchair cushion interliner that is used in combination with a standard medical mattress or wheelchair cushion cover. This combination of interliner and mattress / cushion cover is currently patent-pending.
The product features advanced ⁺Outlast technology that uses a microclimate control system to help maintain optimum skin temperature by drawing heat away from the body, redistributing it when needed, and reducing moisture and humidity build-up.
This will aid in the treatment of pressure sores, and reduce the risk of them developing, as it will draw heat away from an affected area, providing residents with a more comfortable experience.
*The cost of treating a pressure ulcer varies from £1,214 (category 1) to £14,108 (category IV). Costs increase with ulcer severity because the time to heal is longer, and the incidence of complications is higher in more severe cases.
^It is also estimated that just under half a million people in the UK will develop at least one pressure ulcer in any given year. This is usually people with an underlying health condition. For example, around 1 in 20 people who are admitted to hospital with a sudden illness will develop a pressure ulcer. People over 70 years old are particularly vulnerable to pressure ulcers as they are more likely to have mobility problems and ageing of the skin.
Following the recent official inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust, the NHS is under increasing pressure to reduce budgets, meet government targets and ensure patients receive a consistently high standard of care.
Besides the obvious, and most important, benefit of patient comfort, introducing a product such as ClimaCare could also provide long-term financial benefits. Pressure ulcers not only increase NHS costs through bed sore claims, but the treatment costs are thought to cost the NHS over £4bn.
The reduction in the development of pressure sores would also have the knock-on effect of reducing the length of time a patient needs to spend in hospital.
ClimaCare is currently undergoing clinical trials in the UK.
For more information visit the ClimaCare website.
⁺ Outlast® technology utilises phase change materials that absorb, store and release heat for optimal thermal comfort, and is tested and proven to alleviate spikes in skin temperature.
* Source: The Journal of Wound Care, June 2012.
^ Source: NHS Choices, Sept 2012
For media information please contact Jenny Green at Smart Arts on 01484 685544 or email jenny@smartarts.co.uk.
- The GNG Group has been established for more than 35 years and is an international brand leader in the healthcare, sports, safety and lifestyle industries.
- The company has two manufacturing facilities based in Wakefield and Liversedge with a combined area of 60,000 square feet.
- Surface Care is a division of GNG and a leading UK manufacturer and international supplier of pressure care products for the healthcare industry.
- The expertly engineered Surface Care range features pressure care products including mattresses, wheelchair cushions and pressure pads, as well as innovative physiotherapy products and support cushions.
- GNG is a member of the British Contract Furnishing Association, the British Healthcare Trades Association and support the Sleep Council.
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