In response to COVID-19, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s clinical physics team have converted 100 anaesthetic machines to ventilators. This is part of the board’s overall mobilisation plan to quadruple critical care capacity to cope with COVID-19, as requested by the Scottish Government.
The First Minister thanked clinical physics teams across Scotland in Parliament today for their efforts on increasing ventilator capacity by repurposing equipment.
Patients with coronavirus often have difficulty breathing and ventilators are used in hospital to help with this.
A team of 12 technicians in the past few days converted the medical equipment at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital.
They were able to do this by changing the machines’ inner tubing to use air instead of oxygen to operate the ventilator. The machines were then tested, calibrated and are now approved for use to treat patients with coronavirus.
The clinical physics team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde maintain the medical equipment in our hospitals.
This is part of NHS Greater Glasgow’s overall response to COVID-19 as the board aims to protect its patients, staff and wider public.
Ted Mullen, Head of Medical Equipment Management, part of the wider Clinical Physics Team, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said:
“Our team of experts did an incredible job this past weekend to convert our anaesthetic machines to much-needed ventilators. I want to thank them for their tireless work on this. These ventilators will help our frontline staff treat patients with coronavirus.”