ROBOTICS
“ In terms of the challenges we ’ re facing , such as elective surgeries returning and productivity of staff , the robots can meet those straight away ”
HOWARD WILKINSON AREA VP FOR HEALTHCARE ,
ECOLAB
Wilkinson sees the robots as the solution . “ We ' ve proven that we can reduce theatre turnaround time from 30 minutes to 10 minutes . In terms of the challenges we ’ re facing , such as elective surgeries returning and productivity of staff , the robots can meet those straight away . The results are compelling . And they don ' t just have to be in the OR space , they can be used in the foyer of a hospital , or in a patient room . In Wrexham we ’ re using them in oncology , where you want a very high standard of disinfection on a very frequent basis .”
In the future predictive analysis could add further benefits . “ Perhaps one room isn ' t getting cleaned as well as another room . If the robot can detect that , it could focus on the room that isn ’ t as clean . It could also have video and sensors , and eventually link up with some of our other programmes ."
But crucially , they are more than a fix for the current pandemic , as infections in hospitals are still a major concern worldwide .
" The size of the problem is huge , but technology and monitoring can help massively ," Wilkinson adds . " Once you understand what a robot can do in terms of infection prevention , it ' s very difficult not to get on the back of it ." healthcareglobal . com 73