As specialists in patient handling, we have been working with the NHS and ambulance trusts for more than three decades, designing and developing the specialist equipment that will keep patients, ambulance crews and medical staff safe and secure in emergency situations. Paraid is a recognised leader and innovator in adult, neonatal and paediatric transportation equipment. Often, products are custom designed to meet the specific and variable needs of the trusts’ critical care transport teams. However, there are a number of core products that have become firm favourites in patient handling, due to their ease of use, quality of manufacture and vital stability in fast-moving situations.
Moving patients safely to both road and air transports
Steps and stairs can be tricky to navigate, and you never quite know what the challenges will be. Named after the agile mountain goat, Paraid’s Ibex Transeat Patient Transport Chair has been designed in collaboration with trusts. It uses gravity and friction, on an endless traction belt, to transport patients up and down stairs, whilst its narrow track provides excellent manoeuvrability, making it easy to move patients safely out of buildings and onto the ambulance. It is also suitable for use on spiral staircases. Easy to carry, compact to store and simple to use, the Ibex Transeat also reduces the risk of back injury to ambulance and paramedic teams.
Going one step further, our latest innovation, the Elevating Transporter+ Trolley provides a road transport solution for aeromedical systems. Designed to lock into front-line ambulances using two-part floor locks, the trolley also folds-down, small enough to fit into the back of an EC135 and EC139 helicopter. This means the trolley can be flown with the aeromedical sled, allowing safe onward road transportation at the destination. The Elevating Trolley raises to a height of 1080mm from the floor, allowing smooth transition from trolley to helicopter or fixed wing aircraft. Read more about its effectiveness in our case study.
Safety on board Paraid has developed an innovative, flexible, and fully adjustable harnessing system designed for the safe and effective transport of infants and children in ambulances. Widely used throughout the UK, the Ambulance Child Restraint (ACR) is packed in a compact storage bag and comes in four sizes, for children weighing from 2kg-45kg, that are colour coded for easy selection. The ACR used JRCALC Guidelines 2017 to give an age guide. For example, XS is suitable from birth to 1 month old, S is suitable for 1 to 18 months, M is suitable for 18 months to 7 years, and L is suitable for months to 7 years to 14 years. It also includes an extra-small harness for infants weighing from 2-5kg. The product also includes universal stretcher straps to connect with the ACR harness, holding the patient in place to prevent potentially dangerous movement during transportation. Universally compatible with any stretcher, the ACR harness is padded for patient comfort and manufactured from breathable fabric that maximises airflow, meets infection control standards and is machine washable. It is also flexible enough to allow rapid transition from sitting to flat or recovery position in an emergency, and features a quick release chest strap for medical intervention.
For newborn and small babies, Paraid has developed the Neo-Restraint, to be used in an incubator when transporting neo-natal babies. It meets the needs for a safe, fully adjustable, close proximity harnessing system, which reduces the harmful effects of excessive movement during neonatal transfer. The Neo-Restraint is also colour coded and designed to secure infants ranging in weight from 500g to 6kg.
Flexible equipment transport options Paraid’s Adapter+ is another piece of valuable equipment, specifically designed to convert Stryker® Power-Pro ambulance stretchers into medium-dependency critical-care stretchers. Fully compatible with Stryker® Power-PRO TL and XT stretcher models, the Adapter+ secures critical care equipment in place for safe transportation. It is designed and developed in collaboration with suppliers and clinicians to accommodate a wide spectrum of patient care needs and is fully crash tested to EN 1789. Easy to install, it can be retrofitted to existing stretchers and can accommodate various equipment configurations, with crash tested equipment mounts, to suit patient and transport team requirements for maximum versatility. Options include a 10 Socket IEC board and push/pull handles.
Recognising how important stability is when transporting patients on an emergency ambulance, Paraid has also developed the Easi-Lock two-part locking device, which safely secures patient transport trolleys to any ambulance floor. Offering maximum flexibility, it is compatible with a range of neonatal, paediatric and adult trolleys.
At Paraid, our focus is on seamless product performance, so medical staff can treat and manage patients safely and effectively. For more information on our key pieces of equipment for use in ambulances, visit our contact page or get in touch on 0121 700 7455.
