Healthcare solutions designed for life
September 25th 2025
To resolve this complex patient handling issue and enable a successful discharge, the Manual Handling Team, OT and Senior Sister met with Five Mobility to agree a package of equipment for both the acute and community setting.
Admitted to hospital with a suspected stroke, the patient was left completely dependent on the care provider and required repositioning to avoid pressure injuries.
Prior to this, she was independently mobile with the use of a walking stick.
The patient had been in hospital for a considerable time, with inadequate equipment for meeting her complex needs.
The equipment comprised of a bariatric riser recliner chair and bed with turning mattress in-situ.
Nursing staff were unable to get a hoist under the bed to reposition the patient and a standard sling was causing pain around her legs due to water retention.
This resulted in the patient requiring a team of 6 nursing staff to reposition her, and even then, the turning mattress was preventing an adequate turn for optimal personal care.
The knock-on effect of this was seen through the patient being unsuccessfully discharged, as Social Services could not approve funding for such a high level of community care.
To resolve this complex patient handling issue and enable a successful discharge, the Manual Handling Team, OT and Senior Sister met with Five to agree a package of equipment for both the acute and community setting.
We recommended the Freespan Ultra Twin Gantry System with repositioning sheet to transfer the patient from bed to chair and chair to bed.
The repositioning sheet fits around the patient, rather than their legs, ensuring complete comfort and enables care staff to provide a high standard of personal care.
Instead of 6 staff carrying out transfers, the Gantry System only requires a team of two.
1.- Carried out an assessment of the patient and the care environment
2- Delivered the Gantry System and provided training to ward-based staff
3- Supplied an additional repositioning sling as the patient was incontinent ensuring continuity of care
4- Supported the OT team and nursing staff with in-depth moving and handling guidance
5- Liaised with the Adult Social Care department to support patient’s discharge and the equipment pathway management process
6- Assessed the patient’s home environment and created a new equipment specification as there wasn’t enough ceiling height for a Gantry System
7- Recommended a Lifty 6 Bariatric Mobile Hoist, Aura II Bariatric Turning Low Air Loss Mattress, Bariatric Rise and Recliner Chair for home – most of the equipment will be supplied by the Loan Store.
8- Delivered the hoist to the patient’s home address on a trial basis while funding was approved
9- Providing ongoing support, including equipment training for care staff and family
“The team from Five supported us from the time of the first phone call through to discharge and beyond.
Following training from Five, staff felt confident and competent to use equipment that they were unfamiliar with. Ward staff could not sing their praises highly enough. Staff reflected, that if only we had contacted the Manual Handling Team earlier.”
SUZANNE PAYNE
MANUAL HANDLING MANAGER
ST GEORGES UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST
“The Five team exceeded my expectations with their efforts in ensuring my client has the right equipment in her home. Access to her house wasn’t straight forward, but they found a solution quickly and their speed of communication is excellent.”
YVETTE GERALD
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
RICHMOND & WANDSWORTH COUNCILS
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