Robot Penny: The cleaning machine making hospital patients smile

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Kit Bradshaw

An NHS trust has recruited two new members of staff with the ability to clean around the clock and entertain the patients.

That's because Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has leased robots, to clean the floors, freeing up human staff to carry out essential touch-point cleaning during the pandemic.

On Wednesday (25 August), it was up to cancer patient, eight-year-old Mabel Baillieux, to draw a name from a bag during a ceremony which saw the Tunbridge Wells machine named 'Penny'.

Assistant General Manager, Sarah Gray, helps eight-year-old patient, Mabel Baillieux, draw the name. Credit: MTW NHS Trust

Her sister robot – 'Matilda' – will be keeping the floors of Maidstone Hospital squeaky clean. 

Assistant General Manager, Sarah Gray, says that they have taken on “the long, arduous job of cleaning the corridors and freed up valuable time for our cleaners to do enhanced touch-point cleaning.”

The Trust says the machines use 70% less water than other machinery, meaning the floors will dry quicker.

The robots will focus on keeping the corridor floors clean, allowing the human cleaners to wipe down surfaces.

But as well as cleaning, the robots are also designed to interact with patients. During quieter cleaning times, staff plan to bring them to the children’s wards regularly.

They are programmed to tell jokes and sing nursery rhymes. Mabel Baillieux, who is receiving treatment for leukaemia, says she thinks Penny is “funny” even if the jokes she tells are “quite bad”.

Four-year-old Caleb Holden at a robot naming ceremony held at Riverbank Children’s Unit at Maidstone Hospital. Credit: MTW NHS Trust

At Maidstone Hospital, it was four-year-old Caleb Holden who picked the name ‘Matilda’ from the hat. He has cerebral palsy and is being cared for by the paediatric team.

Dad Matt, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, says he “thinks the robots are a great idea and Caleb was so excited about being asked to choose the name”.

The machines can be loaded with floor plan information, allowing them to work cleaning the main corridors at night time.

Managers also expect they will prove very useful in keeping main entrance areas dry during winter months.