University Hospital Southampton has restructured their emergency department in order to deal with patients displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
Patients that are displaying respiratory symptoms are sent through a new corridor to what is the current adult department, while patients with no respiratory symptoms are directed to what is usually the children’s emergency department.
This transformation comes in the wake of the latest NHS figures stating that 148 patients have died in Hampshire hospitals.
Other changes made to UHS include establishing two separate acute medical units for those displaying respiratory symptoms and those not, and adult patients with minor injuries being diverted to urgent treatment centres at Royal South Hants and Lymington hospitals.
Consultant nurse in emergency medicine and deputy director of major trauma at UHS, Professor Robert Crouch, stated that:
In a couple of weeks we have completely changed the footprint of the emergency department and we want to share the positive message that so much care and attention to detail has gone into our plans and preparations to manage COVID-19.
