The pandemic has increased our focus and understanding of the importance of mitigating the risk of airborne transmission of infections in the hospital environment. With patient safety at the forefront, Maidstone Hospital recently trialled a UV-C ventilation system to deliver a significant reduction in CFUs.
Already widely used in healthcare settings in the US and some European countries, the sanitising effect of short-wavelength light in killing bacteria and inactivating viruses was first discovered in 1878. More recently, the benefits of UV-C were highlighted by Mike Ralph, chief engineer and senior policy/ strategy lead (hard FM) at NHSE&I – and others – in the final draft of ‘Guidelines and Standards for the Application of Ultraviolet (UVC) Devices for Air Cleaning in Occupied Healthcare Spaces’.
Along with an increasing focus on airborne transmission of infection, during the pandemic, this awareness has led to growing demand for UV-C solutions by hospital Trusts around the UK. Against this backdrop, Maidstone Hospital embarked on a pioneering trial of UV-C ventilation – successfully demonstrating the effectiveness of the technology against bacteria and viruses in a clinical setting, as well as the ability to deliver significant energy-savings.
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