The Evelina Children’s hospital has become the first children’s hospital to use pop-up isolation rooms to help stop coronavirus.
The hospital has five ‘Redirooms’ which are temporary spaces used to seal off the areas around cots and beds of patients with infections like Covid.
They contain special air filters removing droplets from the air, which can be wheeled to a bed and put up in just five minutes.
“We are also using them to treat patients who are suspected of having COVID-19 while the result of their test is processed,” said Shona Perkins, deputy director of infection control at the hospital.
“Previously we would use a side room to treat these types of patients, but we can now ensure our side rooms are kept free for patients with complex health conditions or patients who require extra protection from others.”
The new air-purifying tech may now be rolled out to Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals after their use at the Evelina.
It is among the measures the hospital says it is taking to keep children and patients safe, including only having one parent attending their child to an appointment and more gaps between appointments so buildings do not become crowded.
Ms Perkins added: “It’s understandable that our patients and their families are feeling anxious or concerned about attending their appointments but I want to reassure them that it’s safe to come to our hospitals and community sites.”
Guy’s and St Thomas’ have also launched a campaign asking patients to ‘Stay Safe, Keep Apart’ when moving around the hospitals.