Isolation pods enable city dental students to resume practical work

Special isolation pods have been installed in Dundee to help dental students return to practical learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

NHS Tayside has bought 20 of the self-contained dental pods, with 14 already in place at the Dundee Dental Hospital and School.

The habitats are typically used for making hot work in hazardous environments safe, involving continuously monitoring the air and closing via a sensor if any toxic or flammable gasses are detected.

But the Dundee-based Starn Group was able to adapt its technology and provide safe environments for healthcare staff and patients which can be quickly and easily installed in older buildings.

Eve Daniell, a fifth-year undergraduate student at Dundee Dental Hospital, is one of a handful of students “fortunate to be able to continue our studies”.

She said: “The clinical training is of course essential and it’s been frustrating being unable to progress, though we understand it’s for the safety of not only us but also our patients.

“The SafeClinic technology has allowed that progression and now that I know how effective it is, I can see the technology being used in dental practices as we as a profession move towards a sense of normality – it’s a solution that it makes sense to use.”

Starn Group project manager James Downie said: “We knew our technology had the potential to be adapted to help the NHS and so we mobilised our teams to make it a reality as soon as we could.

“The system has the ability to set the number of air changes in the units with a minimum of 12 per hour, drastically reducing the time required between patients from several hours, to a matter of minutes.”

Dr Andrew Hall, clinical senior lecturer at the Dundee Dental School, said: “The installation of the dental pods has been a significant boost to our severely depleted teaching facilities in the wake of the Covid pandemic.”

“We knew technology had potential to be adapted to help NHS