As Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust faces a very challenging financial environment at a time of rising demand for services, charitable support is being sought to help acquire key items of medical equipment to deliver better care and more efficient services. Our current shopping list includes a range of equipment that services at Kingston Hospital urgently need, as follows:
This machine replaces humans during CPR in a cardiac arrest scenario. Undertaking CPR for prolonged periods of time can be exhausting and involves several members of the emergency department’s resuscitation team that could otherwise be seeing other patients or helping with other important tasks. In some situations, resuscitation can occur for more than an hour, especially in children. Acquiring a new, lighter, more flexible and user-friendly AutoPulse would enable it to be deployed quickly, as every second counts in a cardiac arrest, on a wider range of populations – children and bariatric patients, as well as adults in the emergency department and across the hospital.
Seven hydraulic children’s medical couches are needed to replace the chairs that are currently used in the paediatric emergency department acute rapid assessment area. Acquiring these couches will improve patient flow and experience, providing the much-needed extra comfort for children and young people while undergoing examination, as well as improving the efficiency of the service.
An additional 19 vital signs monitors are required for use in the adult and paediatric emergency departments, outpatients, admissions on the day, pre-assessment and the Royal Eye Unit. Connected observation machines mean that when the nurse checks the patients’ vital signs, the observations are entered directly into the electronic patient record. This improves accuracy, as there is no chance of transcription errors. It also makes it possible to be alerted sooner for sepsis and increases the hospital’s ability to consider innovation with AI predictive tools to enhance accurate diagnosis. As well as releasing time for nurses and healthcare assistants to care for patients because there is no administration associated, having these additional machines will ensure patients are checked in a timelier manner.
The emergency department’s resuscitation area provides critical care using lifesaving devices like Optiflow, a high-flow nasal cannula that delivers humidified oxygen to severely oxygen-deprived patients, often as a last resort before intubation. Having Optiflow readily available improves outcomes for both adults and children, but the two machines at Kingston Hospital maybe unavailable or located elsewhere on the hospital site, causing unnecessary delays. The emergency department wishes to acquire two Optiflow machines that are readily available for their patients, which are equipped with integrated batteries, so that those that need this crucial oxygen therapy can, when required, be delivered to wards or for a CT scan or ultrasound in the most effective and timely manner
A waterproof fetal monitor is required to assist women with complex pregnancies who choose the birth centre and water immersion, which is increasingly popular for pain relief and relaxation, while increasing maternal satisfaction. Currently the birthing pool intended for women with complex pregnancies is underused because of inadequate monitoring equipment. The fetal monitor is wireless and waterproof and enables safe and effective monitoring of the baby’s heart rate while the woman is in the pool.
The neurology department is seeking a bladder scanner to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Bladder dysfunction affects up to 85% of people with MS. Currently the department lacks a bladder scanner which means patients have to be referred to the very busy urology department. This can lead to months-long delays. During this waiting period, patients often experience a significant decline in their quality of life, suffering from urinary symptoms that impact independence, mental wellbeing and physical health.
The frailty same day emergency care unit was established in October 2024 with the aim of improving the emergency department’s bed flow by identifying frail patients early, providing geriatric assessments, and ensuring safe discharge with better community follow-up. Many frail patients have a history of falls caused by, for example, heart conditions, infections, and urinary retention. Constipation and urinary retention are the most common reasons for frail patients to be confused and agitated. Currently the team have to borrow a bladder scanner from the acute assessment unit, causing delays in diagnosis and treatment, increasing the risk of admission and deconditioning.
The Hamilton-MRI has been especially developed for the MRI suite and combines reliability, compact size and high performance with patient-adaptive modes that support advanced lung protective strategies. By acquiring this portable ventilator, critically unwell patients at Kingston Hospital can receive an MRI on-site, sooner and with the minimum inconvenience, rather than having to be transferred to/from St George’s Hospital, which can cause delays and requires the use of an ambulance.
The headlight surgical camera is a vital tool in head and neck surgical training, providing an unparalleled first-person view of intricate procedures like parathyroidectomy and thyroidectomy. Mounted on the surgeon’s headlamp, it offers precise visualisation, overcoming the limitations of traditional overhead cameras by capturing exactly what the surgeon sees. Technology is transforming medical education, and the integration of headlight cameras into head and neck surgical training represents a significant step forward in enhancing skills acquisition, confidence, and ultimately, patient outcomes.
Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) testing is a simple, non-invasive breath test that measures airway inflammation, a key feature of asthma. Recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the British Thoracic Society, it helps diagnose asthma quickly, shortens treatment times, and reduces the need for further tests. For patients with asthma, FeNO testing aids in personalising treatment, such as adjusting steroid doses for symptom control or identifying those needing novel biological treatments. This is especially important for patients with severe uncontrolled asthma, who make up 4% of cases but account for 50% of asthma treatment costs. Currently, the respiratory team can only perform limited FeNO testing due to shared access to the sole available machine, leading to missed opportunities and delays in treatment.
The acute assessment unit requests funding for a Marsden patient transfer scale, which combines a transfer slide with a built-in weighing function. This will allow nursing staff to accurately weigh patients who are unable to sit in a chair. As some of the patients can be very unwell, nursing staff often struggle to weigh patients using traditional scales. Currently, patients are hoisted for weighing, which isn’t always appropriate. Without an accurate weight, referrals to dieticians and medication adjustments are delayed. The transfer scale will improve weight monitoring, particularly for patients with conditions such as heart failure, and enhance fluid balance monitoring compliance. The acquisition of this patient scale will significantly benefit both patients and nursing staff.
To make a donation to support any of these projects, please click here and select equipment fund on the drop-down menu. If you require any further information, please call Rob Aldous on 020 8973 5040.
