The Respiratory Support Unit (RSU) here at Salford Royal was created as part of the Trust response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by joining forces from specialties in Acute Medicine and Respiratory Medicine covering H1 (MHCU) and H2 respectively to enable enhanced respiratory support to be safely delivered outside of the critical care environment. This innovative model of care has been nationally advocated by British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme review in December 2020.
This model of care will provide in the long term, the platform to cope with winter pressures and the ongoing presence of endemic COVID-19. When Salford Royal faces the seasonal increase in emergency visits, which are predominantly related to respiratory illness, the RSU will strengthen the ability of the hospital to meet these annual challenges.