A SOUTHAMPTON hospital decontamination department is to benefit from an upgrade worth half a million pounds.

Practice Plus Group has invested £500,000 in an upgrade of the Theatre Sterile Supply Unit (TSSU) at Practice Plus Group Hospital Southampton.

The TSSU is used to effectively decontaminate surgical instruments and equipment used at the hospital.

Around 41,000 items are processed by the nine member team each year, to support procedures carried out in the hospital’s operating theatres, dental suite and Outpatient Department.

Elaine Fox, TSSU Manager at Practice Plus Group Hospital Southampton, commented: “Our new system allows us to do more at greater efficiency.

"The newly upgraded, future proof department will ensure the best possible quality and assurance of decontamination for years to come here.

"This is especially important given the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The new equipment allows for faster processing and up to three times as many instruments decontaminated per hour.

The system is also greener – over a year it is estimated that it will save almost 1 million litres of water with associated financial savings.

John McMenamin, Hospital Director at Practice Plus Group Hospital Southampton, added: “This is the latest in a long line of investment made by us at this hospital, and it stands testament to the commitment we willingly make to ensure that patients in Hampshire and beyond get the best care possible – our patients sit at the heart of everything we do.”