The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) Ismael Cosío Villegas is a public assistance institution belonging to the Mexican Ministry of Health and specialises in respiratory diseases.  It is part of the Mexican National Institutes of Health, a system of 12 high-specialty hospitals that provide public health services to the Mexican population.  The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases was the first health facility in Mexico to confirm the first case nationally of COVID-19. 

The Challenge 

Novas Soluciones Sustentables had previously installed a Pulpmatic Ultima in the hospital, a first for the hospital using maceration with single use medical pulp.  It was an overwhelming success, seeing the immediate advantage of the system and the benefits of containing infection and reducing the risk of cross contamination.  It was so much simpler than previous methods they had used, much less time consuming allowing clinicians to spend more time with their patients.  With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic INER need to quickly increase their patient capacity and built an impromptu hospital unit in the car park area of the hospital.  Novas Soluciones Sustentables were contacted and asked to supply and fit another Pulpmatic Ultima in the new unit. 

The Solution

Novas Soluciones Sustentables had to respond quickly to the request as time was of the essence. Working closely with the hospital team they were informed as soon as the plumbing, water and electrical requirements were available and were able to immediately send in an engineer to carry out the full installation. Installing a medical pulp macerator into the unit will help eliminate the risk of transmission of SARS-COV2 through faeces and other body fluids.  Novas Soluciones Sustentables were proud to be able to play a part in helping to protect the patients and brave medical staff who are caring for the patients during the pandemic. 

The Outcome

We believe attention to infection control measures will now take far more prevalence in all health environments, and we will be there, ready to help, advise and show from success stories such as this one how quality equipment and good working practices are imperative to keep infection under control. 

Aldo Novelo  - Director  - Novas Soluciones Sustentables

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Juntendo Hospital was the first private hospital in Japan, originally founded in 1838 as a Dutch School of Medicine at a time when Western medical education was not yet embedded as a normal part of Japanese society. 

With the creation of Juntendo, the founders hoped to create a place where people could come together with the shared goal of helping society through the powers of medical education and practices.  
The university specialises in the fields of health science, health and sports science, nursing health care and sciences, and international liberal arts, as well as medicine.  

The Challenge 

The Infection Control Team at Juntendo found several used urine and feces bowls left in the sluice room waiting to be washed, resulting in a very unhygienic working environment for staff.  This was caused by busy wards and staff that could not wait for the bed pan washer to complete its cycle.   
To reduce exposure to staff working in the sluice room and improve the sluice room environment the Infection Control Team began to consider switching to single use pulp product.  A DDC Dolphin Pulpmatic Ultima medical pulp macerator using single use pulp products was introduced in the Emergency Department for a six-month trial period.

The Solution

After a successful trial period Sakura were instructed to install a further 11 Pulpmatic Ultima and Pulpmatic Uno macerators. The DDC Dolphin macerators and single use pulp not only reduced the risk of cross contamination but it also provided a much improved sluice room environment.    
By using single-use pulp products placed directly into the macerator no preliminary washing of the containers was required and time spent in the sluice room for clinicians reduced from 41 to 9 minutes per day.  Plus, from an operations perspective the Pulpmatic macerators have proved to be exceptionally economic using little water and energy in addition to a 30% saving in chemical usage.  It was the perfect solution for the infection control team, operators, clinicians and patients who were all happy using the single use pulp containers and macerators. 

The Outcome

Apart from the operational benefits, switching to medical pulp macerators greatly improved the sluice room environment and the cooperation between the Infection Control Team and ward staff. We were very impressed with the overall benefits of using this system and the future for us will certainly be using macerators and single use pulp wherever possible.  

Mr Tomohiko Iizuka- ICN  -  Juntendo University Nerima Hospital 

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The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is in Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

It was opened in March 2001, serving patients from the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley.

The hospital was built to accommodate the services previously provided at Greenwich District Hospital and Brook General Hospital. It is a private finance initiative hospital managed by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

VINCI Facilities works closely with Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It is an FM and building solutions business within VINCI Construction in the UK, part of VINCI SA, a world leader in concessions and construction.

The Challenge

VINCI needed to review the condition of 32 ageing medical pulp macerators at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. It had worked with DDC Dolphin for a number of years, providing a range of sluice room infection control solutions to hospitals around the UK.

The macerators were not DDC Dolphin machines. They had been supplied by another manufacturer and were reaching the end of their operational lifespan.

Machine reliability had become a serious issue; some macerators were nearing obsolescence. As a result, spare parts were taking a long time to arrive – it was a recurring problem.

VINCI identified this issue as a potential risk to agreed service levels – one that could result in penalties from the NHS if the situation were allowed to continue and worsen.

So, VINCI called on DDC Dolphin’s specialist expertise.

The Solution

DDC Dolphin carried out a full audit of all 32 medical pulp macerators at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital – detailing their condition and when they would need replacement.

This comprehensive report provided VINCI with the evidence it needed to provide recommendations to the NHS trust.

Initially, it was determined that five of the old machines should be replaced immediately with new DDC Dolphin Pulpmatic Ultima medical pulp macerators.

The Ultima – as the name suggests – is DDC Dolphin’s biggest and best medical pulp macerator. It is ideal for busy hospital wards and care homes. 

Based on DDC Dolphin’s full asset survey and recommendations, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital opted for a phased replacement programme.

The old macerators were replaced two at a time. Finally, just seven of the old machines were left: five were replaced, then so were the remaining two.

The Queen Elizabeth now has 32 new reliable Pulpmatic Ultima macerators that perform far better than their ageing predecessors. Reliability levels have improved immeasurably. 

VINCI also benefits from the machines’ superior reliability. It makes the Queen Elizabeth Hospital FM contract easier to manage – especially with all the detailed sluice room estate information available 24/7 on DDC Dolphin’s secure online portal.

Furthermore, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and VINCI are enjoying the peace of mind that comes with a planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programme that ensures all the macerators are serviced correctly for optimum reliability.

The Outcome

“The support I got from Senior Account Manager Dez McCullagh was exceptional. He was extremely helpful and ensured this was a quick turnover from start to finish.

"Dez was easily contactable and always reached out to check on us and to see if he could help in any way. I was contacted during every step of the process. I found this extremely professional and cooperative.

"The impact has been extremely positive – freeing up time for me so I can turn my attention to other areas of improvement. I would definitely recommend DDC Dolphin to other companies. We look forward to working together on other exciting projects in the future.

"Dez has been an exceptional point of contact and we here at VINCI would like to say, ‘Thank you’.” 

Siân Faulkner – Assistant Manager – VINCI Facilities

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Hospital J.J. Aquirre is part of the Universidad de Chile. It is located in the commune of Independencia, the northern sector in the city of Santiage and is one of the largest health institutions in Chile.  It performs services to over 450,000 people each year.

The Challenge

Despite security and health measures put in place, current figures show Chile has the second highest number of COVIC-19 cases in Latin America. 

The Hospital J.J. Aquirre opened a new ICU specifically for COVID-19 patients to help contain the spread of the infection.  After being given financial support from 2 anonymous benefactors, the hospital approached  DDC Dolphin's Chilean distribution parter Gemco General Machinery to install a Medical Pulp Macerator in the unit.  They wanted to use single use pulp containers in the ward to help prevented the risk of the transmission of the virus through human waste containers and reduce the risk of cross contamination to help keep patients and staff safe.

The Solution

The Pulpmatic Ultima was the perfect match, with its hands free operation and added benefit of antimicrobial surfaces it covered all requirements. 
The project was completed in record time from equipment specification, machine installation right through to the first patients being treated in the new ICU ward thanks to the dedicated  engineering team of Gemco and the technical staff at the hospital. 

The Outcome

"Gemco recognise the heroic work of all the health personnel of the J.J. Aguirre, including nurses and doctors, that have been working tirelessly over the past weeks and we were pleased to be able to  help them  in their fight against infection.   Chile has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and it is thanks to such efforts that the fight against COVID-19 will be won."

Patricio Andueza – Commercial Director – Gemco General Machinery S.A.

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Fraser Health (FH) covers an area that stretches from Burnaby to White Rock to Hope/Boston Bar in Canada. Fraser Health serves 1.6 million people and is a major force in healthcare. More importantly, they are a community of 22,000 people who share a common goal: to ensure that every resident in the health authority has access to quality care when they need it. Their quality healthcare services range from acute care hospitals to community-based residential, home health, mental health and public health services.

The Challenge

For the past 10 years Eagle Ridge Hospital (ERH) had been using pulp macerators from another manufacturer which caused regular issues such as waste pipe blockages, floods and numerous failures created by the operator. DDC Dolphin were approached to investigate the situation and advise if their Pulpmatic macerators could offer them a trouble-free alternative which could ensure a more effective and efficient working environment.

The Solution

After a thorough consultation with Eagle Ridge Hospital, DDC Dolphin obtained a list of criteria which were critical to the success of the project. The DDC Dolphin engineering team in the UK then created bespoke solutions which would overcome the existing barriers and provide a permanent solution for the hospital.

The Outcome

“DDC Dolphin had a very good approach to accommodate our needs and were able to provide us with macerators configured to prevent the majority of the failures we had been experiencing with blockages and floods. They also offered additional features to help avoid operator errors. After installing the trial units, both the users and the maintenance staff have been very pleased with their smooth operation which has been failure-free and with no impact on either operational or maintenance staff.

We have used DDC Dolphin Uno and DDC Dolphin Ultima models. Their technology is very efficient and user-friendly and we are highly recommending both models.”

Stefan Manea, Technical Coordinator, Fraser Health Authority, Canada

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Established in 1991, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust strives to provide high quality care for every patient, every time. Southend Hospital is the South Essex surgical centre for uro-oncology and gynae-oncology surgery and is a centre of excellence for stroke care. They have nearly 700 inpatient beds, serving a local population of 338,800.

Brief

The Trust had an asset base of non-DDC Dolphin bedpan washers [NW1] and pulp macerators but was looking for a trustworthy service partner to maintain their machinery and prolong its lifespan for as long as safely possible.

With highly trained engineers capable of taking care of all brands of sluice room machinery, DDC Dolphin proved to be the most suitable partner.

Solution

DDC Dolphin’s care and maintenance packages proved a real success for Southend hospital – keeping many non-DDC Dolphin machines in good working order for several years, despite the OEM making the units obsolete and no longer supporting their maintenance.

With a dedicated account manager providing accurate and non-biased reporting, they have been able to forecast and make informed decisions about replacing their sluice room assets, meaning a very low impact on their operational expenditure.

When assets have reached the end of their lifespan, they did not hesitate to replace the units with DDC Dolphin macerators. The hands-free technology was a welcome feature for the staff and the voice functionality has reduced the number of foreign objects and overloading instances, reducing the number of call outs and avoidable expenditure even further.

Outcome

"When it comes to our sluice rooms, DDC Dolphin have been the Southend, Broomfield and Basildon Hospitals service provider of choice for in excess of 15 years. Despite the fact the asset base was totally non-DDC Dolphin equipment (initially), they have delivered an exemplary service.

We have always received a very good and timely response from their engineers (mostly within 24 hours) which has resulted in manageable downtime. Once on site the engineers have proved to be knowledgeable and have delivered an acceptable first-time fix rate.

Ultimately, I know that we can rely on DDC Dolphin and would recommend them to all."

Andrew Corser, Estates Operations Manager, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Part of the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), Addenbrooke’s Hospital is a centre of excellence, providing expert care in a safe, clean, comfortable and friendly environment.

The Challenge

Back in 2007, DDC Dolphin supplied its first bedpan washer to Addenbrooke's Hospital and then explored further opportunities within the facility after the initial successful installation proved popular. Shortly after the initial machine was supplied DDC Dolphin started to discuss the ongoing maintenance of all sluice room and dirty utility room machinery at the CUH hospital site.

The Solution

DDC Dolphin was commissioned to carry out the service and maintenance work on all bedpan washers, before the contract was expanded to include macerators. The service and maintenance contract, now is its third year of a five year agreement, includes the quarterly testing and annual revalidation of all bedpan washers as well as weekly machine tests. DDC Dolphin keeps spare parts onsite in order to ensure fix rates, conducts quarterly breakdown and running reports and provides onsite machine training for ward staff and the mechanical team. DDC Dolphin has supplied several other bedpan washer and macerator units into the facility, including into the Accident & Emergency Department and the Trust's major trauma centre.

The Outcome

DDC Dolphin has supplied and installed a number of bedpan washer and macerator solutions to Addenbrooke’s since 2007 and also provides a responsive and reliable maintenance and repair service. It is of the utmost importance to the smooth running of the machinery onsite that the units are regularly serviced and tested to ensure performance remains high. DDC Dolphin is contracted to carry out this work and continues to provide a first-class service.

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Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust runs Dorset County Hospital, an NHS district general hospital in the town of Dorchester, Dorset, England. With 500 beds the hospital is the hub of the district's inpatient facilities but community hospitals, formerly owned by the North and South West Dorset Primary Care Groups, are situated in the surrounding major towns and provide the 'spokes' to the central unit.

The Challenge

Dorset County Hospital had just completed a replacement regime whereby all of the existing machinery was replaced with DDC Dolphin’s Pulpmatic Ultimas, totalling 26 macerators. They now needed to ensure that all the machines were kept in working order with a robust maintenance plan. Dorset County Hospital is one of the few hospitals that benefits from having close proximity to DDC Dolphin as both a service provider and valued partner.

The Solution

DDC Dolphin created a service package specifically tailored to the needs of Dorset County Hospital with a 3 year planned preventative maintenance contract. This included staff training on the machines and their capabilities, plus training the hospital’s own engineers to recognise faults and easy fixes to ensure minimum down time. Close proximity to DDC Dolphin HQ is a bonus, but our ability to react quickly to any problems is greatly improved by our Metrix engineering service system which constantly revises the work schedules, ensuring the fastest response times for all service call outs. With all the benefits of a fully comprehensive maintenance plan with DDC, Dorset County Hospital can rest assured that it is in good hands.

The Outcome

"With the completion of our replacement regime of 26 Pulpmatic Ultimas and a 3 year maintenance contract in place we are confident that DDC Dolphin will continue to provide us with a premier service. Staff training and fast response times on all maintenance issues are key to reducing downtime which is essential in a busy hospital like this."

Sean Miller, Estates Manager, Dorset County Hospital

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Salisbury District Hospital is run by Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust and forms part of the government’s secondary healthcare structure providing high-quality healthcare with improved services, promoting efficient spending. It provides a wide range of clinical care which includes general, acute and emergency services to approximately 225,000 people across Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire.

The Challenge

At DDC Dolphin we are committed to continual engineering innovation, which is how we came to develop the environmentally friendly Pulpmatic Eco macerator, with the capability of modifying and reducing water consumption. Thanks to a long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship with Salisbury District Hospital, we approached them and offered to install the new model for research and testing purposes. They agreed and said they were happy to help and support us with the installation and testing of the new model.

The Solution

The machine performed extremely well with no reported blockages or faults despite the lower water consumption, and as a result of the successful trial, Salisbury District Hospital are taking the next step of ensuring that this new and improved model stays on site on a permanent basis.

The Outcome

“Our relationship with DDC Dolphin goes from strength to strength. We were glad to support DDC Dolphin with the commissioning and testing of the Pulpmatic Eco and we were all delighted with the outcome. We already have a number of their Pulpmatic macerators in the hospital which are supported and maintained by DDC Dolphin and will be adding the new model to our inventory.”

Geoff Walford, Estates Manager, FES Facilities Management

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Southend University Hospital was founded in 1888 at the Southend Victoria Hospital site. The present hospital opened in 1932 and serves a catchment area with a population of approximately 350,000.The facility has been awarded 'Cancer Centre' status and gained Foundation Trust status under the name Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The Challenge

The hospital provides a comprehensive and varied range of general medical and acute services across its site, meaning that the prevention of healthcare associated infection is one of the top priorities as the hospital continually strives to introduce new services to help patients recover faster and hopefully leave hospital sooner. The hospital's focus on patients, research, education and innovation meant that they required a sluice room partner with knowledge, experience and a core understanding of what the facility is trying to achieve.

The Solution

DDC Dolphin has been working with Southend University Hospital since 2005, when 43 Panamatic Optima 3 washer disinfectors were supplied and installed in their sluice rooms. Since then DDC Dolphin has carried out regular HTM revalidation, maintenance and servicing. DDC Dolphin's latest range of completely hands-free equipment was of particular interest to Southend University Hospital, especially the Pulpmatic Ultima macerators. A number of these machines have now been installed within the hospital and are proving to be a real asset in the fight against HCAI's.

The Outcome

"We are delighted to be working with DDC Dolphin for the supply and maintenance of our sluice room equipment. DDC Dolphin understands of the importance of fighting the transmission of HCAIs, and together with their completely hands-free, high-quality and comprehensive range of washer disinfectors and macerators, helps to support our commitment to infection control and patient wellbeing".

Jan China, Associate Director Estates & Facilities, Southend University Hospital

"DDC Dolphin's HTM testing, maintenance and service programme is second to none. All the hassle is taken out of the process by their quick, compliant response times, competent and professional engineers, and comprehensive spares stock held in their vans. DDC Dolphin also keep us completely up to date by preparing detailed reports on each machine's usage and condition. We look forward to working with DDC Dolphin for many years to come".

Steve Taylor, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Southend University Hospital

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