The Develolpment of Aerosol Generating Procedure (AGP) Shields for Anaesthetic Use

The ability to manage the exposure of NHS staff to COVID-19 has been driven predominantly by the adoption of stringent PPE. Though effective, it does not reduce the viral load present in the working space, generally the hospital theatre, and does not address the concern that theatre capacity has been significantly diminished by the essential need to deep clean taking a longer time than before. The project will develop the application of a shield to address both issues. Firstly, through the reduction of viral load, the risk and consequences of exposure could be alleviated and, secondly, by containment within the shield. The project will improve theatre throughput back to a sustainable "new normal" state. The intent of the research project is to develop the production volume ready process required, conduct a service evaluation of the shield in a cohort of hospitals and to establish a logistical and business model for their wider use across the UK health support network.