Over 70 en-suite bedrooms at Carmarthen’s Glangwili General Hospital are to be fitted with a new, ‘revolutionary’ Shower Doorset designed and manufactured by Kingsway Group to offer an antiligature solution to Hywel Dda Health Board.
Section 3.42 of Welsh HBN 03-01, Adult Acute Mental Health Units, published in 2016, highlights the importance of ligature-free environments under the heading ‘The prevention of self-harm and suicide’, when its says: ‘ Spaces where service-users may not be continually supervised by staff (for example in bedrooms and toilets) should be designed, constructed, and furnished to make selfharm or ligature as difficult as possible. All fixtures and fittings should be anti-ligature.’
Kingsway Group explained: “In the light of this, many facilities in Wales have been seeking solutions to help them achieve their goal of providing safe, ligature-free environments – the Glangwili General Hospital being one.”
Edmunds Webster Contractors will install Kingsway’s new Shower Doorset in over 70 en-suites. The ‘hygienic and durable’ 180 degree swing, double-action doorsets have a cut down top, with a rubber leading edge fin, to ensure ligaments or objects cannot get trapped when operating the door. The doorsets also feature a wrapped door frame for additional hygiene control and continuity of appearance, and a ‘rot-proof’ core.