It was announced by the NHS in December 2021 that new Nightingale surge hubs at hospitals across the country will be set up as part of preparations for a potential wave of Omicron admissions.
The Surge Hubs will be a key support if the number of COVID-19 cases add more pressure to hospitals if admissions exceed capacity.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said: “We hope the Nightingale surge hubs at hospitals will not have to be used but it is absolutely right that we prepare for all scenarios and increase capacity.”
These temporary structures capable of housing around 100 patients will be erected in the grounds of eight hospitals across the country, allowing access to diagnostics and emergency care if required. NHS Trusts have also been asked to identify areas such as gyms and education centres that can be converted to accommodate patients.
These non-clinical locations do present challenges as they can have limited facilities for supporting patients and hospital staff. It is a familiar challenge to Teal who have long-supported Trusts and hospitals across the UK with portable hand wash sinks, helping control infection outbreaks.
The sinks are stand-alone, can be placed exactly where needed, independent of any plumbing that exists in the building or room and supplied with their own water containers and separate waste containers that are housed inside the unit.
The Royal Preston Hospital Nightingale Surge Hub work begins and includes hand wash support from Teal MediWash portable sinks
Work has started on the 6th January this year on the Nightingale Surge Hub for Covid patients at Royal Preston Hospital. It is one of eight wards being constructed at hospitals across England, with the Preston hub to provide 100 beds for recovering patients from across the Northwest
The MediWash sinks are to be used in the staff canteen building that is being converted for clinical use. It is understood that the sinks were well known to the Trust and have been successfully used elsewhere in the hospital prior to this new order.
Highly portable and easy to set up the sinks are ideal for non-clinical areas
They are also easy to use as they are activated by the sensor and only need a hand to pass in front of it. Safe to use, no taps are needed, and the warm water shuts off automatically after the cycle has completed.
The sinks include an automatic sensor, which starts a pre-programmed hand wash cycle, supported by onscreen instructions that direct the user to follow ‘The NHS hand washing instructions’ for effective hand washing.
The flexibility and proven quality have been major factors in the portable sink orders now being received by Teal to support the Nightingale Surge Hubs that now includes the Solihull Hospital in the Midlands.
https://www.tealwash.com/medical-and-healthcare/
