Patient turnaround in a Welsh hospital gets a boost from Howorth

The recently opened orthopaedic unit at St Wooloos Hospital, Newport, Wales features an operational facility provided by Howorth Medical.

The new £7.4m facility supports a 36-bed ward designed specifically for orthopaedic needs and will expand the hospital’s capacity for elective orthopaedic surgery, helping it to meet and sustain target maximum waiting times for patients.

Howorth Medical has provided three of the elements of the new facility that will ensure the unit’s position as one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the UK.

A Howorth Exflow 90-5 ultra-clean canopy has been installed in the preparation room; this enables theatre staff to lay up instruments and equipment in a sterile environment for the next operation while surgery is in progress, thereby significantly reducing theatre turnaround time. This is the first time this operational facility has been used in the UK.

Both operating theatres feature Howorth Medical’s latest version of its ultra-clean ventilation system, the Exflow 32. The canopy of the Exflow 32 has been enlarged to provide an ultra-clean operating zone of 3.2m x 3.2m; this means that the entire operating team, and all equipment, can be accommodated beneath the canopy.

Medical gas and electrical supplies to the operating site are delivered via Howorth Medical Media Bridges incorporated into the Exflow 32. Endoscopic surgical equipment is supported via a Howorth Medical equipment carrier.

Despite the increase of nearly 50% in the volume of air generated by this Exflow, the design of the self-contained unit, with its four integral fans, has reduced the noise to a level significantly below that set by Health Technical Memorandum (HTM) 2025. This low noise performance has only previously been possible by utilising a more expensive, remote fan system, which requires considerably more space and is often impractical to install.

To further aid the battle against infection, Howorth Medical has also fitted a membrane surgeons’ panel in each theatre. The panels, which are totally smooth faced, are extremely hygienic and can be easily washed down. The graphic display is clear, easy to use and instantly recognisable, with a streamlined, modern appearance.

Parent company Howorth Airtech specialises in engineering air flow to provide protection to sensitive and potentially hazardous activities in manufacturing and healthcare. The privately-owned company now has two divisions, Howorth Medical and Howorth Pharma, with over 90 employees and generates an average turnover of £17m.

Back in the early 1960s, the company designed and built the world’s first Ultra Clean Ventilation (UCV) system for bacterial elimination from surgery operating rooms. The company then went on to create the patented Howorth Exflow UCV, which it claims remains the most efficient system available today.