Kilbryde Hospice in East Kilbride, just south of Glasgow in Scotland is a voluntary independent 10-bed hospice which exists to provide specialist palliative care to patients with life-limiting progressive illnesses, together with delivering high levels of support and understanding for their relatives and carers.
In 2012 an appeal to raise the money necessary was backed by Scots engineering entrepreneur and honorary president of the hospice Jim McColl, who donated £200,000 to the project. Rangers FC manager Ally McCoist, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and comedian Andy Cameron were also patrons of the appeal. With funding in place the new facility is now open and operated in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire. Chairman of NHS Lanarkshire Ken Corsar said at the time, “We are delighted to be working with Kilbryde Hospice to develop services that can make a real difference to the quality of life for people facing life-threatening and life-limiting illness”.
As a new build the project needed some 2000m2 of high quality flooring that would not only look stunning, but would also be able to stand up to the rigours of daily use in a busy healthcare environment. The appointed Architect, Eddie Kerr chose a selection of Gerflor products to fulfil this challenging task. A mixture of Gerflor’s Taralay Impression Comfort, Creation 70 Luxury Vinyl Tile and Planks and Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O, together with products from their SPM handrails was specified.
As a true healthcare multi-specialist and with over sixty years’ healthcare experience, Gerflor has grown and developed to become an expert in this field by creating, manufacturing and marketing innovative, decorative, durable, hygienic and environmentally-responsible flooring for a host of healthcare-related solutions.
With ten new extra designs Taralay Impression Comfort is an acoustic multi layered vinyl floor covering available in 2m wide sheet, with a group T wear rating.
Taralay Impression Comfort comprises a Very High Density (VHD) foam backing reinforced with glass fibre and a printed design that’s protected by a transparent wear layer (0.65 mm thick) which offers 19 dB sound insulation and an indentation resistance of 0.08 mm. The product is protected by a UV cured surface treatment Protecsol® which is easy to maintain and permanently eliminates the need of an acrylic emulsion (metallisation). It does not contain any heavy metals or CMR 1&2 and it is 100% compliant with REACH. The product emission rate of volatile organic compounds is < 70 µg/m3 (TVOC after 28 days – ISO 16000 -6). It is also 100% recyclable. Throughout the Kilbryde Hospice the need to raise the ‘look’ of the communal areas was high on the agenda. It would be a remit perfectly suited to Gerflor’s new Creation LVT range. The sophisticated Red Dot Award-winning Creation 70 LVT range offers a brand new palette of realistic wood and mineral finishes in tile and plank formats with beveled edges. In addition to this, the looselay Clic System’s unique vertical interlocking format allows this product to be laid quickly over most existing surfaces, with no need to close premises during refurbishments saving customers time, money and inconvenience. The Creation 70 LVT range is also 100% recyclable, REACH compliant and is treated with PUR+ surface treatment, providing excellent cleaning characteristics and improved resistance to scratching. The hospice would also have to cater for the myriad of applications where patients and staff could shower and bathe in both comfort and safety. The ultimate choice for wet and dry, barefoot and shod applications, Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O high performance safety flooring from Gerflor is an ideal solution for shower and changing rooms, together with any high level risk wet areas where heavy duty slip resistant flooring is needed. Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O is competitively priced and scores the best possible safety rating in the wet barefoot ramp test (DIN 51097) and wet shod test (DIN 51130). Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O is also rated Grade C in the barefoot ramp test – the best possible – and >36 in the wet pendulum test. It also scores R11 in the slip resistance wet shod test. Designed with a raised emboss, Tarasafe™ Ultra H²O is available in eight stunning colours, which complements Tarasafe™ Ultra’s most popular colourways. It is available for delivery in two metre width rolls within 48 hours of ordering to most parts of the United Kingdom and its lighter weight and improved flexibility allow for quicker and easier installation.
Like many healthcare environments the daily grind of trolleys and wheelchairs is a constant wear factor for most of the premises. It’s a problem area where Gerflor can provide the ideal solution. SPM International has been integrated into the Gerflor brand, offering customers a suite of reliable and decorative systems providing safety, hygiene, easy maintenance and noise management. Gerflor SPM offers a comprehensive range of wall and door protection, corner protectors and handrails in an extensive range of finishes. The Gerflor SPM Starline range of handrails specified at the hospice has an innovative bactericidal joint and includes an elegant anodised aluminium or antibacterial PVC-sheathed handrail with a lightly textured PVC band. The collection includes three finishes for the aluminium profile and thirty-two colours for the PVC band. These handrails co-ordinate with a specially developed range of corner protectors that resist impact and the effects of cleaning, together with the constant use of disinfectant products and have demonstrated strong resistance to tear-off and impact damage.
Learn more about Gerflor solutions, ask for a free sample or contact us to speak to a specialist today by calling 01926 622 600, emailing contractuk@gerflor.com, or visiting gerflor.co.uk for the latest innovations.