home » news »

According to the latest National Audit Office statistics, there has been a dramatic decrease in instances of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs). By the end of March 2008, MRSA had been reduced by 57% and C. difficile by 41%.

However, improvements are not uniform across the NHS: a quarter of trusts have reduced MRSA by more than 80% but in 12% there has been an increase;  29% have reduced C. difficile by more than 50%, but in 19% the number of infections has increased.

Leaderflush Shapland, the UK’s leading performance doorset manufacturer, offers a wide range of products especially suited for the healthcare sector and is particularly committed to developing products which help to raise standards of hygiene and control the spread of infections.

Fully encapsulated Plasform, postformed doorsets are suitable for the most demanding hospital environment including surgery suites, pathology labs and pharmacies. The radiused edges give a distinctive appearance as well as an easy to clean, damage resistant and ergonomically friendly surface.

Hygienilac, an anti-microbial additive that kills most species of bacteria including C.diff, MRSA, Salmonella and E.coli, is incorporated into the standard wood lacquer used for all Leaderflush Shapland veneered doorsets and is now also incorporated into the high impact PVC facing - Hygieniform - which is available in a range of 15 standard colours. 
By adding Hygienilac to the PVC at the time of manufacture, it is homogenously distributed and locked into the resin matrix so that it never wears off, unlike many other surface treatments. Even if the surface is scratched, Hygieniform PVC maintains its antibacterial properties and overcomes issues with bacteria build up that can ordinarily occur on the surface of high-impact, textured PVC.

Smoother Surfaces

Plasform Original offers the distinctive looks and performance benefits of the postformed concept with the option of traditional beaded vision panels. Door facings can be either coloured laminates, Hygieniform or other through-colour PVC facings, while radiused frames are available in various materials and finishes.
Plasform Unique offers up to 60 minutes fire resistance and the option of Cleanglaze, Flushglaze and Duoglaze flush glazing systems to create a low maintenance, easy to clean durable finish which is particularly well suited to applications where hygiene is paramount. In addition to decorative laminates and impact resistant PVC door facings, the unique Envision facing incorporates back-printed high definition photographic images or solid colour, which allows the inclusion of way finding signage.
Plasform Extended Performance doorsets can give even higher levels of fire resistance and sound reduction as well as the option of X-ray protection.
Duoglaze WR doorsets have been specifically developed for wet areas and are available with either impact resistant PVC or Envision back-printed facings with encapsulated graphics.
Leaderflush Shapland can now also incorporate Hygienilac into either clear or coloured powder-coated aluminium and stainless steel ironmongery products to provide an extremely durable finish with long-lasting antibacterial properties. This all adds up to a complete, hygienic solution covering all aspects of the doorset.

Intelliglass is Leaderflush Shapland’s intelligent glazing system that provides the ideal solution where privacy may be required. Intelliglass vision panels use liquid crystal glass technology and can be changed from clear to frosted at the flick of a switch. As there are no protrusions to cause dust or dirt build-up, they are also ideal for locations where hygiene is of prime importance.

All Plasform products are supplied as fully finished doorsets with door leaf, frame and essential ironmongery forming a single, integrated, factory made assembly. Not only does this meet current industry demands for prefabrication, it also ensures that designed, certified performance – particularly fire resistance – is actually achieved on-site.

The Specifiers’ Choice

An in-depth understanding of healthcare’s unique needs together with innovations such as Hygienilac, Hygieniform and Intelliglass have contributed significantly to Leaderflush Shapland’s success in this sector. Their doorset solutions are suitable for the most challenging environments and can satisfy a wide range of technical requirements making them the first choice of specifiers to many of the UK’s largest healthcare developments.

Recent projects to have benefited from Leaderflush Shapland’s expertise include the £383 million Manchester Joint Hospitals project - one of the most complex hospital PFI schemes ever undertaken - which provides state-of-the-art facilities in one location - clinical, research and academic buildings, administration and education suites, plant and multi-storey car parking.

3500 Leaderflush Shapland doorsets were specified, most finished in maple veneer and all incorporating Hygienilac.

Leaderflush Shapland’s Plasform Unique, Plasform Original and Plasform Extended Performance doorsets were specified for a major PFI project at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital – one of the UK’s first NHS Foundation Trusts.
The project creates a significant addition to the 1960s’ District General Hospital with new accommodation that includes a children’s centre, therapy unit, day hospital, emergency centre, cardiac testing units and outpatients units.
288 Leaderflush Shapland Plasform Original doorsets were supplied to the Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre at Moorfields International Eye Hospital, the largest pediatric ophthalmic clinical, research and training centre in the world. Doorsets were constructed to various performance characteristics including FD30, FD60 and FD120 fire resistance as well as sound reduction of 32RwdB.