Saniflo supports Nightingale Hospitals

A range of Kinedo shower cubicles normally found in social housing and student accommodation proved to be in high demand for temporary facilities for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the very start of the lockdown, the UK Government was quick to build a number of Nightingale Hospitals as part of contingency plans to treat COVID-19 patients. Saniflo, one of the UK’s leading supplier of pumps, macerators and showers, remained open throughout to provide an urgent supply of pumps and shower cubicles for the conversion of exhibition centres and sporting venues into Covid wards. The company also provided round-the-clock support for existing hospitals that expanded their own facilities to cope with additional demand. Saniflo products were used in the creation of accommodation units and shower blocks for on-site medical teams, for the installation of hand washing basins throughout hospital wards and temporary food preparation areas for patients and staff.

The Consort cubicle is commonly found in social housing units. Easy and quick to install the self-contained, integrated shower features a durable plastic interior, exterior and tray along with a Styrene door. A low-maintenance, easy-clean solution, the cubicle can be specified with any shower valve and handset according to the end use; in social housing situations this is often an electric shower, whilst in public settings a TMV valve is usually specified.  Over one hundred units were supplied to hospital settings; a number of which were used by container manufacturers who quickly manufactured temporary changing rooms for hospital staff to use before and after work. Each container featured two of the robust Consort showers – placed apart to facilitate social distancing – and specified as part of a safe space for staff that included lockers, benches and racking.  The portable containers were supplied to each Pennine Acute Trust hospital – Fairfield, Oldham Royal, Rochdale Infirmary and North Manchester General – and continue to be used by the staff despite the reduction in patients.

Other products that were specified as part of the Covid response included hundreds of Sanivite and Sanispeed pumps for the temporary hospital at Cardiff Arms Park and Sanicubic lifting stations for the Harrogate Conference centre. The pumps were used for a wide range of purposes including pumping waste from temporary kitchens, WC blocks and showers.  
Going forwards and with the advent of modular accommodation which may well lead the way in easing the housing crisis, the team at Saniflo believes the combination of pumps and showers could provide a quick and simple solution in modular housing solutions.

Ann Boardman, Head of Marketing and Product Development, has witnessed the wide adoption of shower cubicles into leisure accommodation and glamping pods and believes the benefits would cross over easily into housing solutions; “Over the last few years our range of shower cubicles has increasingly been specified by manufacturers of holiday homes who really appreciate the ease of installation and maintenance. There are similarities in build methods to the modular sector and we believe these units will provide ‘quick wins’ to help with the housing crisis. Kinedo cubicles could play a vital part in the roll out of modular units because they can be fitted and ready to use in just a few hours.”

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