Coronavirus: chaque hôpital en Angleterre doit créer des zones sécurisées pour les patients, révèle un document divulgué du NHS

Tous les hôpitaux du NHS en Angleterre ont reçu l'ordre de créer des zones sécurisées pour les tests de coronavirus afin «d'éviter une augmentation des services d'urgence», selon une lettre du NHS divulguée.

Il a été demandé aux hôpitaux de créer des «modules d'évaluation prioritaire des coronavirus», où les personnes seront contrôlées pour le virus, qui devra être décontaminé à chaque utilisation.

La lettre, vue par L'indépendant et daté du 31 janvier, charge tous les directeurs généraux et directeurs médicaux de faire fonctionner les modules au plus tard le vendredi 7 février.

Il survient alors que le nombre de morts dans le monde du virus a atteint 565 avec environ 28 000 personnes infectées.

Un directeur de l'hôpital a déclaré L'indépendant il a estimé que l'exigence était «une réaction excessive», ajoutant: «Je pense que nous devrions envoyer des équipes pour écouvillonner dans les maisons des patients car le conseil est de rester à la maison et de s'autogérer comme avec toute autre grippe.

“Once the public is aware that we have the pods in place, it could create more anxiety and inappropriate referrals.”

Dr Bharat Pankhania, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter, agreed the proposals appeared to be an overreaction. People should be sent home and assessed from there, he said.

He added: “The British people are extremely compliant. This is a use of precious NHS resources when we have tried and tested processes after the swine flu pandemic where we didn’t do this.

“Putting someone in a pod creates a temporary holding station where there are all sorts of issues about ventilation and air clearance etc that could raise the risk of infection.”

In the letter, Professor Keith Willett, who is leading the NHS’s response to coronavirus, told NHS bosses: “Plans have been developed to avoid a surge in emergency departments due to coronavirus.

“Although the risk level in this country remains moderate, and so far there have been only two confirmed cases, the NHS is putting in place appropriate measures to ensure business as usual services remain unaffected by any further cases or tests of coronavirus.”

He added: “Trusts are being asked to organise a coronavirus priority assessment pod, which will mean people with symptoms indicative of infection will get quick assessment, while other patients also continue to get appropriate care.”

According to the letter, when someone arrives at hospital showing signs of infection they will be sent to a pod where they will use a telephone to call a specialist NHS 111 assessment service.

The letter said the pods must be in an isolated area of the hospital, which is away from the emergency department and able to be decontaminated after every use.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said 468 people in the UK have now tested negative for coronavirus, with two positive cases.

If the patient needs to be admitted or needs further testing the letter says NHS 111 will contact the A&E department on its “red phone” to arrange the next steps.

It added: “The pod will need to be decontaminated in accordance with (Public Health England) guidance following each NHS 111 assessment.”

The letter said hospitals will need to plan for “measures to deal with the potential for increasing numbers of patients”.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is to chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Wednesday afternoon for an update on the UK response to the coronavirus outbreak, Downing Street has said.

An NHS spokesperson said: “Anyone returning from Hubei province in the last 14 days should stay indoors, avoid contact with other people and call NHS 111 whether or not they are showing symptoms.

“Anyone with a cough, fever, or shortness of breath who attends hospital and has recently returned from China, will be advised to follow signs to NHS 111 pods and call for advice, so they stay isolated from other patients and avoid causing unnecessary pressure in A&E.”