Plans have been submitted to relocate a medical gas supply that hundreds of Covid patients relied on to keep them alive.

According to planning documents, the relocation of Watford General Hospital's main medical gas storage containers is necessary to ensure upcoming redevelopment works at the hospital site can be done "without risk of interruption" to the medical gas supply.

Watford General has been one of the frontline hospitals in the fight against Covid. The hospital - which is "ageing" by West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust's own admission - has had to undergo several emergency repairs and upgrades to its medical gas system over the last year-and-a-half to ensure numerous inpatients continue to receive the oxygen they need.

At the height of the first wave, nearly 300 patients relied on this gas supply.

A critical incident was also declared at the hospital in early April 2020 due to the pressure on the oxygen system.

Papers say similar patient numbers were experienced at the height of the second wave, and with the potential for further waves, the medical gas supply remains one of the key components of fighting Covid.

As a result, it is "essential" the medical gas supply is "permanently maintained" for the hospital.

Watford Observer:

Following detailed engagement with medical gas professionals, NHS England and the medical gas provider, the trust is looking to create a new compound to "ensure the consistent supply" of oxygen to the existing hospital site throughout the proposed development of the new hospital.

A floor plan shows a compound area on the western side of the hospital site for the housing of the new medical gas - Vacuum-Insulated Evaporators (VIE) - which hold the chilled liquid oxygen, and the appropriate equipment to allow the oxygen to evaporate to its gas form and be distributed into the hospital’s existing medical gas infrastructure.

It is hoped this will lead to an improvement in outcomes for patients, reducing deaths and the likelihood of long Covid.

The trust says this compound will form a key part of the enabling works for the main redevelopment of Watford General.

The trust is hoping to secure hundreds of millions of pounds in funding from the Government to rebuild its hospital in Watford.

The full planning application for the relocation of medical gas supply can be found on Watford Borough Council's planning portal. The reference is 21/01239/FUL.