Middleton St George Hospital, Priory Group Case Study

Priory Hospital Middleton St George is a Mental Health facility in Darlington that recently built two new wards to add to the existing site which is currently rated as 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). When building the Birch and Chester wards, it was important for the Priory Group to uphold this standard in providing specialised inpatient care in a 'safe and supportive environment'. Choosing the right doors to create this environment was key - which is why our anti-barricade and corridor doors were the perfect fit.

Providing safe solutions

After experiencing issues with the doors used in the existing wards, The Priory Group approached us to arrange a demonstration of our doorsets for their new wards at Middleton St George. Upon discussion of their challenges, we learnt that the existing doors were being damaged and that they needed a more robust solution that would keep staff and patients safe.

Anti-barricade

Releasing in just 2 seconds, even under pressure, our anti-barricade door can be opened outward when barricaded or there is a hostage scenario
Visually discreet, the anti-barricade device is almost invisible, helping minimise the institutional feel of the environment
Our anti-barricade doorsets undergo 12 rigorous abuse tests, including slam shut test, body impact test and physical abuse test - representing real-life challenges

'We needed strong, sturdy doors that would be robust enough to withstand sustained abuse. After seeing a demonstration of the Safehinge Primera bedroom and corridor doors, we were confident they would provide this.'

- Adam Findlay, Support Service Manager, Priory Group

Post-installation support and training

We truly believe that our products are only as good as those in contact with them - especially because they often have to be used in an emergency. We provided full onsite training to the clinical team at Middleton St George to ensure they're familiar with the functionality and confident when operating them.

5-way SOS

The Priory Group opted for our 5-way mechanical locksets on all of the bedroom doors at Middleton St George to ensure staff can always gain access
Even if a patient tampers with the keyway from inside their bedroom, staff have 5 options to use to override the internal lock - watch the video here.

Swiftstop

Once the door is unlocked, staff can then operate the anti-barricade stop which collapses into the door frame
During training, staff commented on how safe this made them feel - particularly because the stop could be operated outwith the swing path of the door

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