Exclusive: A first look around the UK's pop-up Coronavirus pods

13 February 2020, 16:31

LBC News has been given an exclusive tour of the new pop-up coronavirus pods which have been set up at North Tees hospital.

The pods have been set up so doctors can immediately isolate and assess any suspected cases which come to the north east hospital.

The hospital's Medical Director, Deepak Dwarakanath gave a tour of one of the pods, which have been designed to keep patients as comfortable as possible while minimising the risk of others being infected.

"As you can see, this is very basically furnished with a few chairs as well let it's nice and warm," he said.

"Patients will be comfortable in here while they're being assessed.

"There's a small kitchen provide drinks etc. and a fully functioning toilet next door."

When asked if this is being rolled out across the country, he said: "Yes, it is all trust across the the country that's have A&E or urgent care centres have been asked to provide these pods.

LBC News saw inside the pods
LBC News saw inside the pods. Picture: LBC News

Dr Dwarakanath also explained that these are just precautionary measures, saying: "This is just so that we can safely and isolate patients from our normal patients that are attending the A&E and the urgent cares.

"We are not predicting a huge increase in cases coming through. And this is just the safe ways of assessing the public threat as required."

He also gave advice to anyone concerned about the virus, stating: "The pods are not walk in centres, patients who are worried about having coronavirus are advised to call 111 to get expert advice from the people there."

Julie Lane, Chief Nurse and Director of Patient Safety and Quality of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The pods are simply a required precaution to ensure we have an isolated area where anyone referred to us with suspected coronavirus can be assessed in safety.

“I would like to stress that the pods are not a drop in centres, nor should they be taken as confirmation of any local cases.

“At present, we have no cases of coronavirus in our Trust.”

A GP surgery in Islington has closed due to coronavirus fears
A GP surgery in Islington has closed due to coronavirus fears. Picture: LBC News

Earlier today, it was announced the first London coronavirus patient had travelled to Lewisham Hospital in an Uber, going against advice by health bosses.

So far, nine people in the UK have been confirmed to have the virus.

And in Islington, GP surgery was forced to close amid concerns about the virus.

An alert on the Ritchie Street Health Centre website says: "Practice is closed until 14/02/2020 due to the coronavirus. Any patients that have the symptoms should call 111 and not come to the practice".

83 people who were being held in quarantine in the Wirral after they were evacuated from Wuhan have all been let out as they pose "no threat to public health".

In China 1,355 people have now died from the virus, and more than 60,000 infected.

Additional reporting by Lilli Keen.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

France Valentino

Former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele named Valentino creative director

Know your limits this summer, Brits have been warned

‘Know your limits’: Brits heading to the Euros this summer warned against drinking ‘too much German beer’

Russia Shooting

Russia arrests another suspect in concert hall attack that killed 143

Sam Bankman-Fried has been jailed for 25 years for a $8bn crypto fraud

'Crypto King' Sam Bankman-Fried jailed for 25 years for stealing billions of dollars from his customers

Michael Gove has been urged to 'get on with' passing the rental reforms

Ministers accused of making 'major concessions to landlords' after renters reforms 'watered down'

Supermarket opening times for Easter 2024: Trading hour revealed for Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi

Supermarket opening times for Easter 2024: Trading hours revealed for Sainsbury's, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Aldi