Clean air, healthy hospitals: the potential to save lives and NHS budgets

Today is World Ventilation Day, and with winter approaching, the demands on our health system will increase, especially due to a seasonal rise in airborne infections such as flu and COVID-19.

Infections acquired in hospital are a risk for patients, and cleaner air could improve patient outcomes, reduce staff absences and lead to potentially large cost savings for the NHS.

I would like to thank Mike Ralph FIMechE, Head of Energy, NHS Scotland Assure for drawing our attention to the statistics below regarding healthcare-acquired infections in the NHS in an article he wrote earlier this year.

Healthcare-acquired infections

In 2016/17, healthcare-acquired infections added an estimated £2.7 billion to NHS expenditures. But that’s only part of the impact: data indicates that in that single year, approximately 834,000 patients were affected by HCAIs, contributing to 28,500 deaths and occupying 7 million hospital bed days. This figure represented nearly a quarter (21%) of all hospital bed occupancy across NHS England. Moreover, HCAIs led to 79,700 days of missed work for healthcare professionals.

As Mike highlighted, around one in four HCAIs come from airborne diseases, a figure reflecting the fact that nearly half of NHS hospitals probably don’t meet basic ventilation standards due to the age of the buildings.

During the pandemic, the healthcare system’s shortcomings were laid bare. Ventilation systems, neglected and outdated, struggled to cope with the demands of the crisis, putting both patients and staff at risk.

New solutions for old problems

The USA and Europe are already using upper room germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) devices to disinfect hospital air, creating safer environments with little maintenance required. These low-energy GUV systems can be integrated into existing ventilation networks, providing long-term, cost-effective improvements to indoor air quality.

As a short-term measure, portable plug-in Ultraviolet (UVC) and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) devices can also help. However, they are only a temporary solution as they require plenty of space around the device to be effective and can easily be unplugged or tampered with.

Cleaner air not only reduces infection rates but also shortens patient stays, means fewer staff absences and cuts down on energy costs. Improving hospital indoor air quality could save the NHS up to £3 billion a year, according to a report from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Large trials of the technology now needed

Given the huge upside potential, the next stage should be for the NHS Estate to roll-out large-scale trials to confirm the savings that GUV technology brings in both energy costs, as well as in reductions in staff sickness absence and hospital-acquired infection.

With the new government looking to find efficiencies and cost reductions, this engineering solution would be a great place to start.