Hydrate for Health says dehydration is ‘potentially the biggest single issue in healthcare’ as research has shown 25% of hospital patients are unable to reach, lift or hold drinks.
This means around 30,000 patients every day are at risk of dehydration and its consequences, which include urinary tract infection (UTI), acute kidney injury (AKI) and falls. The WaterDrop solves the problem helping prevent dehydration and avoidable intravenous drips.
It is a one litre hydration system that attaches to beds, drip stands, chairs, drawer handles – somewhere around the hospital bed – that is used orally. Preventing avoidable drip use massively reduces both infection risks and plastic waste.
Mark Standen, head of nursing for diagnostics, anaesthetics and surgery at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We highly recommend The Water-Drop for any patient for whom it is appropriate and plan to roll this out on a Trust wide basis.
“It clearly offers many quality and cost saving benefits along with the opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint. It is impossible to find any reason not to support its introduction to all hospitals in the NHS.”
The WaterDrop’s impact:
- Promotes independence and dignity for users: 90% of patients said it helped them drink more (Chelsea & Westminster Hospital)
- Efficiencies on wards by releasing time to care: reducing the need to help patients drink means more time available to care for more vulnerable people
- 86% cost reduction versus using intravenous drips (Hastings Hospital)
- Reduced infection risk by preventing new cannulas being inserted
- 70% reduction in plastic waste – 90g versus 300g where an intravenous drip is avoided (Southmead Hospital)