13 Jun Warwickshire hospitals offer patients and staff clarity

Communication at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust hospitals will now be much clearer since the installation of almost 100 of Contacta’s assistive listening systems.

The Trust’s hospitals, which include Warwick, Leamington Spa and Stratford, had installed safety screens in response to the COVID pandemic which made conversation with patients more difficult.  Their existing hearing loops for hearing aid users needed upgrading so our engineers completed a comprehensive survey over four days to assess exactly what was needed.

Window intercom systems, which transfer speech from one side of a screen to the other, were installed at reception areas in departments across the sites.  The varied layout of the desks meant engineers, Paul Mann and James Graves, needed to select the most appropriate models from our range to both fit the space and give the best performance.

While window intercoms from our STS-K07 range were suitable for the majority of reception areas, the K002L was selected for the customer window at the security office.  As this is accessed by visitors outside, the intercom allowed staff to have a secure window while maintaining clear communication.

The systems not only allow staff to stay safely behind the screens but because voices don’t need to be raised, they also help to maintain confidentiality.

Hearing loops were installed alongside the window intercoms, giving patients and staff with hearing aids clear sound direct to their hearing device.  Staff were able to test the systems for themselves with a loop listener headset. Many who weren’t familiar with the benefits of a loop were very impressed, saying it really did make a difference.

Hospital cafes were also looped, making ordering a coffee much easier!

A number of our IL-PL20-2 portable hearing loops will make conversation in consulting rooms clearer for those with hearing loss, or anywhere throughout the hospital sites where one-to-one conversation needs enhancing.  Clear signage and information on screensavers throughout the hospitals are making staff aware of the new technology and how to use it.