TUESDAY, 12 MAY, 2020

Immediate release. Photo attached l-r David Waddell from Securigroup, ENT consultant Peter Ross and specialist nurse Hilary Nicholson

Outpatients coming to Ninewells to be scanned for COVID-19 symptoms

People coming to Ninewells to attend outpatient appointments will soon be screened for COVID-19 symptoms using a thermal scanner and a web-based app which are being trialled by clinicians.

Although routine outpatient appointments have been suspended during the coronavirus pandemic, around 350 patients a day are still attending Ninewells for urgent outpatient appointments.

A team of clinicians at Ninewells has been working together to look at ways to monitor outpatients attending the hospital for coronavirus symptoms and is now trialling possible solutions.

A temperature screening camera operated by nursing staff is being trialled and is in place just inside the main entrance to Ninewells and will be in operation later this week. The camera, which has been donated to NHS Tayside by Securigroup, measures temperature from the skin of the face.

Anyone who appears to have symptoms will be spoken to by nurses at the station for further advice.

The team is also testing a web-based app which has been created free of charge by Dundee app developers, Zudu. The app guides people through a series of simple questions to carry out a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to the hospital. The app, which does not store any personal data, is free and can be used on mobile devices, computers and laptops.

As part of existing screening processes, outpatients are phoned 48 hours before their appointment and asked if they are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19. They will now also be given a link to the app and asked to carry out the self-assessment on the app on the day of their appointment.

Advice is provided to those who self-assess as having symptoms, including phoning the number on their outpatient appointment letter to discuss next steps. Patients who cannot use the app before coming to hospital will be assessed on arrival at the hospital.

Peter Ross, ENT Consultant and one of the clinicians leading the project said, “We hope that the combination of the app and the thermal scanner will help to identify those with symptoms and ensure they get the care they need.

“It will also help to stop patients who have symptoms coming to hospital so will further protect other patients, our staff and the public at large.

“I would like to thank Securigroup for donating the thermal scanner and Zudu for creating the app for us free of charge.”

The screening process checks people for symptoms at a fixed point in time. Everyone should continue to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms.

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138