An innovative respiratory device that offers a more sustainable, cost-effective and fun child-friendly solution to traditional methods of delivering Bubble PEP for chest physiotherapy is now available through NHS Supply Chain.
Yasmin Hussaini, Jane White and Naomi Parsons, part of the Cystic Fibrosis Team across South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, created ‘HydroBubble’ after working with Mark Moran MBE, Chief Executive of Hydrate for Health to develop its existing hydrant hands-free water bottle into a fun, reusable bubble-blowing machine designed to be child friendly and fun for kids doing chest physiotherapy.
Bubble PEP is a technique used to help adults or children who have a build-up of phlegm (secretions) in their lungs and struggle to clear them.
Yasmin said: “The traditional Bubble PEP device consists of a bottle and tubing. It is complex to clean and challenging for our younger patients to use without the aid of an adult. It also creates a huge amount of plastic waste on our wards, as the device needs to be changed weekly.
“We are excited to introduce HydroBubble to NHS Supply Chain. The device, which our child patients use twice daily for chest physiotherapy and think is great fun, can be conveniently used indoors, outdoors or on the go.
“It can also be used by adults and children who suffer with extra secretions, as well as people who have been diagnosed with a chronic lung condition such as COPD and Bronchiectasis.”
Following its launch across Coventry and Warwickshire in April 2024, HydroBubble has received positive feedback from families who are delighted with the device, including Jane’s own daughter.
Jane said: “My daughter was recently unwell in hospital with a bad chest and difficulty in clearing her secretions. She was very unwell with this and requiring oxygen to treat. She continued to deteriorate, and we were getting quite concerned.
“Then the lovely Physiotherapist recommended we start using HydroBubble to help her clear her secretions. She instantly cheered up as she loved the look of the bottle and the idea of blowing bubbles with glitter in made her excited.
“After only a few sessions I could see a huge difference in her and she was starting to look a lot better. HydroBubble helped her to shift the secretions off her chest and it was literally an instant improvement.
“She said her chest didn’t hurt anymore, and after only 24 hours we were then able to leave hospital and continue her recovery at home. She loves it and asks if she can do it all the time. We like having fun with adding glitter and washing up liquid to make even more bubbles and she has no idea she is even doing physiotherapy.”
HydroBubble helps to keep airways open by producing vibrations in the lungs to help loosen and move secretions. This, in turn, moves secretions up towards the larger airways, where a huff or a cough can clear them. By removing secretions, it reduces the risk of infections. Healthcare professionals advise patients on how much water to put into a HydroBubble and guide them on the correct techniques and frequency of use.
Traditionally, Bubble PEP physiotherapy is administered using a 1-litre bottle of sterile water and suction tubing. However, this method is costly and results in significant waste, with the equipment challenging to store and dispose of.
Michelle Johnson, Clinical Executive Director of NHS Supply Chain said: “Clinicians at NHS Supply Chain are passionate about driving forward innovative technology and delivering improvements to patients lives. HydroBubble is a fun and innovative medical device which supports children to self-manage an aspect of care that is vital in helping them maintain healthy lungs.
“Community children’s nurses have led the way in working with industry specialists to develop a device that meets the needs of children and families. What an excellent example of health professionals working in collaboration with children and their families alongside healthcare product experts.
“It is great to support smaller businesses in bringing innovative products to market. By combining our collective clinical and procurement expertise alongside our combined customer networks will really help to bring this product to life across the NHS.”
HydroBubble offers an innovative solution to trusts:
HydroBubble is now available for trusts to purchase from NHS Supply Chain. NHS Supply Chain is the last step in bringing innovative products to market via a legal compliant route and ensuring they are readily available for the whole NHS.
To find out more about becoming an innovation supplier, contact innovation@supplychain.nhs.uk.
