BOSSES at the Royal Bolton Hospital have given leading local medical products firm Vernacare a ringing endorsement for its new fully disposable bedpan.

The new product is a world first, removing the need for a re-usable plastic bedpan support and the infection risk that it can pose.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust’s infection prevention team conducted trials of the new single-use bedpan and support across its complex care wards.

Following positive nurse and patient feedback, the new product is being introduced to other wards.

“Because Vernacare’s bedpan system is fully disposable it's better from an infection control perspective,” said the trust’s matron for infection control, Julie Dziobon.

“It also saves nurses' time in cleaning and drying the plastic support and relieves the problem of storage.

“We were involved in the early development phases of the new bedpan system which was designed with two key objectives in mind — patient safety and patient comfort.

“It is satisfying to see that these two objectives have been met and to have played a role in bringing this innovative new product to the market.”

Vernacare, based in Folds Road, Bolton, has re-engineered the traditional bedpan design — that has stood still for decades — to combine increased user comfort with functional performance.

The company says it has “made the impossible possible” by creating a product from recycled newspaper that has the strength to hold a patient's weight, yet which disintegrates into a fine water slurry when placed in a pulp disposal unit.

The Royal Bolton Hospital has also recently introduced Vernacare's commodes following an evaluation of three different products.

Staff appraised three different options and concluded that Vernacare's commodes were sturdy and easier to take apart to clean properly.

The hospital uses the full range of hygienic Vernacare products across the site.

Ms Dziobon added: “We trust Vernacare's medical pulp to never leak and to do the job it's designed for. The quality is outstanding and helps us to achieve excellent standards of hygiene.”

Vernacare began manufacturing its brand of hygienic patient toileting almost 50 years ago.

Today, the firm provides the largest range of medical pulp products to the NHS and has held the BSI kitemark since 1999.