Joe Forster - The Safevent Window.          

"The new secure unit at Mersey Care NHS Trust is a flagship building. It is the first in the new mental health estate planned by the trust, and has many innovations designed to resolve the shortcomings of the past.

The Safevent window was created for this unit. The contractors approached numerous designers and manufacturers before briefing BRITplas with the end-users' criteria. They were the only supplier able to meet all the requirements.

Every window before was a compromise but now the Safevent allows effective ventilation while remaining secure. It can reduce or even eliminate the need for noisy, expensive and carbon-intensive air conditioning and handling while restricted windows leave other secure units hot, stuffy and feeling cramped.

Research tells us that patients do better with less intrusive supervision, and the Safevent meets this need having no locks for the staff to oversee while still being ligature-resistant. It looks and works much like an ordinary window, making the unit feel less institutional and more homely.

The Safevent is just as secure as other security windows but promotes a better ambience, gives patients a better sense of control, saves the staff time and improves energy efficiency. The interest and excitement it has aroused in mental health services will no doubt inspire further innovations in design."

Yours,

Joe.

Joe Forster,

Charge Nurse,
Low Secure Unit,

Mersey Care NHS Trust,
Rathbone Hospital,

Mill Lane,

Liverpool,

L13 4AW
Tel: 0151 471 7946 / fax 7947.