The benefits of air cleaning units for service users and NHS staff are being tested in a mental health inpatient unit at Fountains Court in Bedford. 

The Trust has launched a research project using Quality Improvement (QI) tools to study the benefits of units in removing airborne pathogens and improving air quality in the enclosed environment of a mental health inpatient site. 

The research is thought to be the first of its kind in a mental health inpatient unit in the UK. 

The project is an extension of a study led by Cambridge University Hospitals Trust which has seen similar testing take place for physical health inpatient wards at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. 

Fountains Court is a 26-bed acute assessment unit for older people with mental illness. Six air cleaning units have been installed with discreet housing covers and are all ligature-proof. 

Suzy Enoh-Arthur, Bedford community mental health clinical lead, is the principal QI lead for the ELFT project. 

Suzy emphasised the project involves estates, clinical colleagues and co-production through the involvement of service user family and friends from the outset. 

“The hope for everyone involved is that this could ultimately help improve infection prevention and control for the Trust and the wider NHS,” she added. 

The equipment has been provided by research and development company AirPurity, which also supported the research at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and is advising NHS England.