The offices and warehouse at Andway Healthcare will be closing for a short period over Christmas and New Year, please find below our scheduled closure dates and important information relating to orders and delivery times:

We will continue to be available during our normal office hours of 7am to 5pm until the 22 December when we will be closing at midday.  You can get in touch with us on 01423 331000 or via email to sales@andwayhealthcare.org.uk...

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your custom over the past 12 months and look forward to continuing to be of service throughout 2018.

Many thanks,

Luke Ledgeway

Customer Service

Vinyl Glove Shortage due to China’s Pollution Crisis

In the back end of 2016 the Chinese government took steps to tackle their pollution levels that have reached an all-time high. China has relied heavily on coal to assist it in becoming the second largest economy in the world and is now starting to pay the price. As a high producer of low cost goods, production levels have seen a major increase over the years, with little regard given to the effects on the environment. Using coal to make electricity has added to the build-up of smog in the Country and drastically led to increased pollution levels.

Why is there a shortage?

In Northern China, a major production area of vinyl, the Chinese government enforced a 45-day production ban on vinyl glove factories as well as other manufacturers that were producing high levels of pollution.  This led to a backlog in the supply of vinyl gloves globally.

All businesses that sell and use vinyl gloves have been affected in some way, even those that were savvy and foresaw the crisis and ordered more stock in advance have seen major price hikes and availability not meeting demand. The cost of vinyl has increased up to 55%, Andway Healthcare have managed to absorb some of this cost but like most distributors have had to pass some of this on to our Customers.

Is the Crisis Over?

Inspections in Beijing have shown that an excessive number of Factories are still violating air pollution regulations, up to 70%, according to the National Media in China. More emissions are being churned out than allowed, factories don’t have the correct license or didn’t follow the correct air pollution procedures. This has meant the government has had to set up a team of environmental police tasked with reducing pollution levels and the consumption of coal by 30% by the end of this year (2017).

Some factories are still being audited and are showing they are still not meeting pollution levels. This will inevitably mean that some factories will remain closed, some older factories sadly may not open their doors again.  Shipping volumes in Northern China have therefore declined.

Long term options include moving production to other countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia or India who’ll have to go some way to establish such a streamlined network to match China.

How can you get your gloves…?

So, whilst the crisis may be ongoing and somewhat out of our hands, we are taking steps to make sure we are taking all the steps we can to ensure that our customers still have access to stock.

Andway will continue to ensure we get you the best price possible on Vinyl gloves, we also have a wide range of alternatives some of which are latex free and excellent for those that have allergies, call one of our Sales Team on 01423 331000 or get in touch -  to discuss your options.   

Members of the Andway team were present for the grand opening day of the new Yorkare Home in Beverley East Yorkshire last month.  We were so impressed with the home and the design that decided to share a few of the snaps we took with you…

At Andway we are happy to be able to support this forward thinking award winning care group continue to achieve great things in the industry...  View many more images of this home online by clicking here 

Here’s a selection of the pictures that we took:-

We are delighted to annouce the launch of our brand new furniture brochure designed to inspire your next care home refurbishment project.  You can request your free copy by emailing sales@andwayhealthcare.org.uk or calling our office on 01423 331000.

Have you got a project planned?  Our account managers will be glad to assist you in creating a world class care environment, simply call Phill on 01423 331000 or email phill@andwayhealthcare.org.uk.

Another happy customer! Mary from Middleton Hall was another winner from our feedback draw! A loyal customer for many years - reward well deserved.

Are you a current client of Andway Healthcare?  Complete our customer satisfaction survey by clicking here and you could be the next lucky winner...

Well done to Janet at Amphion View Care Home. The winner of this month's customer survey prize draw hamper. Thank you for your business Janet... 

Are you a current client of Andway Healthcare?  Complete our customer satisfaction survey by clicking here and you could be the next lucky winner...

Part and parcel of running a care home is tackling troublesome issues such as laundry demons; smells that linger and stains that seem to be invincible. The laundry room plays a vital role in infection control within the home and therefore it’s critical it is managed effectively. The Andway team are well versed in all aspects of laundry issues and are confident to wear the cap of ‘laundry experts’. Although laundry may be an everyday chore that keeps your home running, there is a science behind what works effectively. A lot of money is wasted annually on products that promise a lot but spectacularly under-deliver.

Common laundry issues…

There are a number of common issues we regularly come across and our team always has a solution on hand to rectify a range of tiresome problems. Whether you struggle with removing stains from bedding and clothing, or you find laundry never quite smells as fresh as it should, there is usually a simple ‘fix’. Speaking with other care home owners you will find the laundry room is often the area that causes a headache or two.

Whilst the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has no specific care guidelines as to how laundry is managed its inspections cover how generally clean and infection free a home is. A survey conducted by Electrolux professional identified that many homes could trace a front-line infection outbreak back to the laundry room!

Back to basics

We love an unresolved laundry issue to solve! If your sheets are continually stained no matter what temperature you wash at, or tarnished clothing is shamefully hidden under a cardigan – your home is not alone.  Whilst there is no magic wand there are several steps you can take to ensure that common problems are avoided.

We strongly suggest that you start by undertaking a laundry assessment, we offer these to our clients as standard practice. It is the first point to investigate what is going wrong. Sometimes it can be as simple as a little staff training to ensure that the washing machine isn’t overloaded or a little more complex such as identifying that the wrong type of chemicals are being used for the stain or wash cycle. We take a very down to earth approach and can quickly identify the reasons behind your struggles.

Common issues:

·         Overloading the machine

·         Detergents used aren’t effective for heavy stainage

·         Temperature

·         Wrong wash Cycle

·         Staff needing training

Top tips

Consider trialling a stronger chemical or look at a longer washing cycle. Heavily stained items, often need a good pre-wash or sluice cycle. This not only removes stains but also reduces the likelihood of infection spreading across the home. Putting a little less in each wash can work miracles, sometimes it’s people trying to save time by putting a little too much in the machine, stopping the water and chemicals circulating and the clothes rotating around the machine.

Using a stronger detergent can save you both time and money in the long term, removing the need to re-wash and use more detergent. Occasionally we find staff aren’t using the right amount of washing liquid or powder and need to slightly increase the dose.

Does the water temperature work effectively with the detergent? Washing liquid and powder work at an optimum temperature. You need to determine what is the perfect temperature for your clothing and bedding; you don’t want to boil wash delicate clothing, it will remove the stains but will inevitably damage the material.

Using a destainer can be effective even at 30 or 40 degrees which is an energy saver as well as being an effective stain removal tool. Our range of destainer’s are always popular in high volume laundry environments as they help remove heavy stainage.

Dosing Systems

Consider using a dosing system for the ultimate in laundry accuracy. Dosing systems not only deliver an accurate and measured amount of detergent every wash but also improve washing results and reduce wastage. A clever system that saves both time, money, and energy. As the right amount of chemicals are released in every wash, stains are effectively managed and home report savings on detergent and energy use over other manual methods.

Cheap products often mean high dosage which often means you may end up paying a lot more in the long run, buy cheap buy twice!

For more help with your laundry issues, contact one of the Andway Laundry Experts who would be delighted to come and conduct a free laundry evaluation at a time to suit you!

Last weekend saw Andway Healthcare’s Grace Harding take part in a tandem sky dive in aid of Alzheimer’s UK.

Grace always goes above and beyond to support her customers at Andway, so when she announced she was diving 11,000 feet out of a plane for charity, we knew she’d give it everything she’s got! Grace, who is terrified of heights leapt into action for Alzheimer’s UK raising in excess of £900 with her partner, a fabulous achievement and tackling one of her fears in such a breath-taking way, is definitely something to be proud of.

The dive took place over the scenic city of Durham and involved her free falling from the plane face first into a blast of icy clouds before her parachute opened - saving Grace! After a fast descent, full of adrenaline she landed safely and is now back down to earth offering her usual cheery and high standard of customer service

Andway Healthcare are very proud of her achievements and being very encouraging of staff charity were of course more than happy to support her with sponsorship. Alzheimer’s UK is a dementia charity that is keenly supported by the business who are in the process of creating a speciality dementia range to support sufferers to lead a more fulfilling and independent life.

If you’d like to sponsor her for her endeavours, please click here

Grace Skydive Video

Bathroom safety in nursing and care homes

It is estimated that 90% of nursing home residents need assistance with bathing.

The care home manager has a duty of care to both their staff and to the residents to ensure all areas within the home are safe to use. In a care environment the bathroom is a work environment and as such there are health and safety and infection control considerations which will need to be assessed through robust risk assessment.

1.       Hazards in a bathroom

A risk assessment will help you identify the potential hazards within a bathroom and highlight any further controls needed to ensure it remains safe to all users. You will need to consider and risk assess:

·         Available space

·         Adequate lighting

·         Temperature of water

·         Potential for slip, trips, falls

·         Infection control strategies

·         Bathroom equipment

·         Mould prevention

Space

There should be adequate space for the user to be comfortable when using the toilet, bath or shower. If a hoist is required there must be space to allow staff a sufficient area to work in and to ensure the safe use of the hoist.

Lighting

The lighting must be suitable and sufficient for the use of the bathroom, allowing both staff and residents to be able to see what they are doing properly.

Water temperature

The temperature of the water must be checked at regular intervals to eliminate the risk of burns to the residents and must not exceed 44°C and the correct mixing taps should be used, e.g. thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs).

Slip, trips, falls

The flooring should be suitable for the intended use of the bathroom ie anti-slip in wet environments.

Infection control strategy

A schedule of cleaning and bin emptying must be in place and monitored to prevent the spread of pathogenic microorganisms.

Bathroom Equipment

All equipment including bath lifts and hoists used within the bathroom are subject to LOLER  regulations so need scheduled service checks. 

Mould prevention

Good ventilation will help prevent the development of mould in the bathroom. Where possible, use natural ventilation but if you do open a window ensure that there are windows restrictors in place.

The bathroom is a relatively safe area but will still need to be risk assessed to ensure it remains safe for each individual resident. The care home manager should ensure that regular planned inspections are carried out to ensure the bathroom remains a low risk environment.

Useful links

http://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations-enforcement/regulation-15-premises-equipment

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/Pages/hygiene-and-washing.aspx

Best Practice for moving and handling

Moving & handling is a key part of the working day for most care staff from moving  equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents.

 Poor moving and handling practice can lead to back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to inability to work

- moving and handling accidents – which can injure both the             person being moved and the employee

- discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being moved

- All care homes are responsible for putting the right measures,         equipment and training in place to prevent or minimise the risk of     injury.

Patient-centred care plans

No-one should routinely manually lift patients. Hoists, sliding aids, electric profiling beds and other specialised equipment are substitutes for manual lifting. Patient manual handling should only continue in cases which do not involve lifting most or all of a patient's weight. This rules out for example, the shoulder or Australian lift. Patients often have complex and varying needs. The Health and Safety Executive advise a balanced approach to managing the risks from patient handling. These include:

Equally, care workers are not required to perform tasks that put them and their clients at risk

A client's personal wishes on mobility need to be respected wherever possible

A client's independence and autonomy must supported as fully as possible.

A patient-centred care plan should include information on immobility and detail any handling risks and/or needs

Care environments are governed by the following legislation and helpful for assessing moving and handling risks:

·         Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA)

·         Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) (as amended 2002)

·         Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

·         Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

·         Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

Legally, employers are obliged to provide a safe working environment for their staff. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) employers are required to:

·         assess the risk of a back injury at work

·         reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable

·         provide training for staff on safe manual handling practices

·         supervise staff to ensure compliance with the regulations.

Risk assessments could be generic and individual.  A generic risk assessment would consider the needs of the workplace/environment e.g. the equipment needed, safe staffing levels, emergency procedures and the suitability of the physical environment.  Individual risk assessments consider the specific moving and handling needs (e.g. help needed, specific equipment needs and number of staff needed to support the patient) to ensure the safety of staff and the patient/service user.

There is a requirement for a ‘competent person’ to conduct risk assessments. Competency is a mixture of skills, knowledge and qualifications to carry out the role.

For further details please see

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/moving-handling.htm

https://www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/rcn-advice/moving-and-handling