How Torbay Hospital made portering safer with Powered TransitFlow Portering Chairs

Customer: Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Product: TransitFlow Powered Portering Chair
Funded by: Torbay Hospital League of Friends

The challenge

Torbay Hospital is built on a hill. Moving patients between wards, clinics and diagnostic areas often means long routes and sloped corridors.

Until now, the hospital’s portering team relied on manual chairs. These had served them well for years, but on the steeper parts of the site, controlling a chair came down to a porter’s own strength. That puts strain on staff and can slow patients getting to where they need to be.

The facilities team had looked for a powered portering chair before but struggled to find one that suited their needs.

Why they chose a powered portering chair

When the team got in touch with Felgains, the powered TransitFlow was the model they were most interested in. A motorised chair takes the physical effort out of pushing patients uphill and gives porters more control on the way down.

As with any NHS purchase, cost was an important part of the decision. The team wanted to see the chair in person before committing, so we arranged a demonstration on site.

The result

Thanks to funding from the Torbay Hospital League of Friends, the hospital now has three TransitFlow Powered Portering Chairs, including one bariatric model.

The chairs are used to move patients across the site and are expected to help most on the longer routes and steeper inclines. The hospital expects them to:

• get patients to appointments more quickly and comfortably
• reduce delays to scans, surgery and outpatient appointments
• reduce physical strain on portering staff
• improve safety and comfort for patients and staff

Ryan Evans, Facilities Operations Manager at the Trust, said the new chairs will make “a real difference to everyday patient care.”

Martin Tucker, Chair of Torbay Hospital League of Friends, said that for patients, “small things can make a big difference to how safe and cared for they feel.”

About the League of Friends

The Torbay Hospital League of Friends has supported the hospital for more than 70 years and received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012. It funds equipment and improvements that go beyond standard NHS provision.

Is a powered portering chair right for your site?

If your hospital has slopes, ramps or long corridors, a powered portering chair can make a real difference to staff wellbeing and patient flow. We’re happy to talk through your site, answer questions on cost, and arrange a demonstration so your team can try one first.

Get in touch

Got a question or want to send us a message?  Let’s talk.