Solihull Hospital to become 'coronavirus-free' centre

It is hoped the second phase of the trust's Covid-19 response will be operational by 1 June

A hospital hopes to become a coronavirus-free centre by only carrying out elective surgery.

Solihull Hospital will close its minor injuries unit and anyone with Covid-19 symptoms will be treated elsewhere.

All non-surgical work will be moved to the Queen Elizabeth and Heartland Hospitals in Birmingham, run by the same trust.

The University Hospital's Birmingham trust said it was possible due to the falling number of cases in the region.

Patients due to receive elective surgeries would be screened beforehand for Covid-19 and may have to self-isolate from their family members before procedures to reduce the risks, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The initial focus will be on providing time-critical surgeries such as vital cancer operations.

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Trust chief operating officer, Jonathan Brotherton, said it was a "really good opportunity for us to create a facility that can provide the access to urgent elective services for patients".

"In order to do that we need to be able to give the public the confidence that that hospital is, as far as we can possibly make it, Covid-free, and that then will encourage people to come back to the NHS for the essential treatment that they need that they are not currently able to access, or willing to access, because of their concerns," he added.

The changes mark the trust's second phase of its Covid-19 response, which is planned to be operational from 1 June.

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