Nestled in the market town of Daventry in Northamptonshire, Danetre Hospital is a community hospital run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), purpose-built in 2006 to serve the needs of the local population.
As well as outpatient clinics and rehab services, the hospital has a busy 29-bed inpatient unit serving a wide range of patients who require specialist seating to support their recovery, comfort, and day-to-day care.
Like so many NHS community hospitals up and down the country, Danetre operates under the wider pressures of delivering the highest standards of patient care with increasingly stretched resources. Ensuring patients have access to the right equipment is a clinical priority that directly affects patient outcomes and long-term efficiencies.
Jump straight to…
What healthcare challenges did Danetre Hospital face?
Before getting in touch with us, the ward at Danetre was managing its bariatric seating needs through a rental arrangement. While this gave the team access to specialist equipment, it meant ongoing costs that never translated into an owned asset, increasing operating expenditure.
The ward was looking for a reliable, high-quality bariatric riser recliner chair to support its larger patients. Budget pressures meant that any significant equipment purchase would need to be carefully justified and supported by evidence that the product would genuinely meet the ward’s clinical needs.
The team was also acutely aware of the NHS’s drive for efficiency and value for money, both goals that we share and actively supports through our work with NHS Trusts across the country.
How did we help them overcome these challenges?
When Melody Korentang from Occupational Therapy got in touch with us to explain the situation, our first step was to arrange a no-obligation trial of our Lento Bariatric riser recliner chair in Danetre’s IPU. This was exactly what the ward needed, a no-pressure trial where they could evaluate the equipment in its clinical setting, before any commitment to purchase.
Lento Bariatric Rise and Recline Chair
The trial gave ward staff the chance to assess the chair’s suitability for their patient group, evaluate its practical usability day-to-day against existing chairs.
By the end of the trial, staff could see firsthand how the Bariatric 40-stone riser recliner delivered the comfort, postural support, and ease of use that bariatric patients require, while also being straightforward for clinical teams to operate with its toolless adjustment that could be resized to each individual patient. The evidence gathered during the trial supported the business case for purchase, needed to access the hospital’s charitable fund for capital purchases.
How did this impact overall levels of patient care?
Charitable funding was approved for a Lento bariatric riser recliner chair, with a 40-stone weight limit and rechargeable battery operation to keep it mobile throughout the ward. This moved the inpatient unit from an indefinite rental agreement to owning high-quality specialist seating with a far longer lifespan. With its heavy-duty steel frame and modular seating system, this chair would maximise value for the Trust over the long-term, as well as deliver far more comfort and postural stability for bariatric patients.
Lento Bariatric Patient
What impressed Danetre most in their dealings with us?
Rather than a commercial sales-driven approach, we first consulted the ward team and provided a hands-on trial that let the clinical team build their own case from the ground up. This is the kind of long-term partnership we like to achieve with all NHS organisations, where we act as a trusted advisor rather than just a supplier.
From the initial conversation through to trial, quotation, and purchase, we worked to make the process as easy as possible for the busy IPU team. Our bank of resources such as justification templates make it easier for NHS clinical and procurement teams to justify capital spend when they need it most.
How this supports the NHS
This project is another example of the way we help NHS organisations to achieve their goals:
Reduce ongoing costs: moving from rental to ownership eliminates a recurring spend, and gives the Trust a tangible asset that can be renewed and recycled over a longer lifespan.
Evidence-led decision making: the trial and justifications provided gave clinical staff the evidence base they needed to make a confident purchase decision, making funding approval quicker and easier.
Supporting bariatric care: the Lento Bariatric chair is purpose-built for larger patients up to a maximum of 50 stone, helping hospitals to meet their duty of care for all patient sizes without compromising on dignity or clinical outcomes.
Trusted by clinicians: as a key supplier to the NHS and trusted by over 19,000 clinicians, we bring both product expertise and a deep understanding of what NHS wards need.
Interested in how Vivid Care can support your ward or trust?
Visit vivid.care/nhs or call us on 01423 799 960.
