Why coronavirus quarantine pods have appeared at Chesterfield Royal Hospital

The pods, which are kitted out with ‘appropriate equipment and signage’, are part of the government and Health Protection England's national plans for the containment phase of coronavirus.

The trust which runs the Royal says all hospitals in the country have been instructed to put pods in place.

A statement issued by the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust says: “Whilst there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in this area or at our hospital, the pods are precautionary measures to help to contain the potential spread of infection if needed.”

The statement adds: “Anyone arriving at our Emergency Department (A&E) because they believe they have coronavirus symptoms, but haven’t followed the NHS 111 call procedure, will not be able to enter the building.

“Instead signs instruct them to use one of the pod facilities to make that call to NHS 111 in a safe environment – reducing the risk of infection to others.”

MORE: Chesterfield Royal Hospital issues statement on coronavirus

The NHS 111 service remains ‘the first and correct point of contact’ for anyone who believes they may have the virus.

Director of nursing and patient care, Lynn Andrews, said: “I can assure everyone that we are following national guidance from Public Health England (PHE) to make sure we are well-prepared to respond to the new 2019 novel Coronavirus. I am really proud of how our staff have worked together to get everything in place in just a few days.

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“Our hospital is running services as we would normally - and it’s very much business as usual. Although we have put Coronavirus pods in place as a sensible safety precaution, anyone concerned about their symptoms must call NHS 111.

“The NHS 111 team is best placed to advise individuals in the first instance, especially if they have travelled from any of the countries on the PHE’s list. As always the best way of preventing the spread of infection is good hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue.”