A PIONEERING scheme to provide treatment in the face of coronavirus is being piloted at Newton Abbot Hospital, health chiefs have announced.

On Monday, the Covid Free Hub project launched with the help of Plymouth University and will use thermal imaging scanners, on patients and staff entering Newton Abbot Hospital.

Early in the COVID crisis it was identified that to maintain vital treatment regimes, some vulnerable patients would need to be moved from the acute hospital sites, and by doing this the vast majority of cancer patients in the Torbay and South Devon area have been able to continue some form of their treatment.

The NHS is starting to re-introduce services that were stepped down to manage the response to COVID-19, and staff are working in new ways and introducing changes, to keep patients and staff safe.

Newton Abbot Community Hospital was earmarked to provide these services and, as with all NHS sites, introduced many changes to working practices to reduce the risk of infection.

The latest of which is the introducton of thermal scanning for all patients and staff entering the building.

Other covid busting moves include reducing footfall, social distancing, face-masks and regular testing.

Morven Leggott, Torbay and South Hams Foundation NHS Trust associate medical director, said: ‘As with all NHS sites, the Newton Abbot Hospital team wanted to keep their patients and staff as safe as possible and for patients to feel confident in our care.’

She added: ‘The first group of patients to transfer to Newton Abbot Hospital were cancer patients, both inpatients and those having outpatient treatment.

‘We then extended the offer of space to other vulnerable patient groups (often shielded), or those where it was important that their treatment continued uninterrupted.

‘We also felt it was vital to continue to be able to offer the minor injury unit service to the local population.’

Professor Goodhew and his team from the University of Plymouth are experts in sustainable building construction and architecture and have undertaken many national trialling it at the Newton Abbot site.