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A new Covid-19 "hot site" that can treat up to 150 patients a day has opened in Herne Bay.
The primary care treatment centre is in operation at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital - and will be used to assess and treat patients with coronavirus symptoms, such as a persistent cough or a high temperature.
Following changes to the way GP surgeries are run, medical practice groups across the county will be splitting patient care between sites aimed at those with Covid-19 symptoms, and others that will remain virus-free.
Herne Bay GP Jeremy Carter said: "The new centre is for the primary care network to see their covid symptom patients.
"Keeping patients and staff safe is clearly critical, so segregating patients in terms of their risk to either other patients or to staff is important.
"By developing this site, we've now got capacity to treat up to 100 to 150 patients a day, if needs be.
"If the situation gets particularly bad here, then we do have the capacity across the primary care networks to see these patients.
Dr Carter stressed the new centre is not a test site or walk-in facility
"You've got to be booked in here through either 111 or through your GP," he said.
"It's where we as GPs will see patients that we would otherwise have seen in our surgeries. But we're seeing them here because it's essentially a kind of safety system for everyone.
"Let's say you phone up your GP and say 'I've got a sore toe' but you aren't unwell, you'd still be seen at the surgery. But if you've got the covid symptoms, you'll be seen in this assessment centre.
"Symptomatic patients will come here, so they aren't going to be contaminating surgeries, and the GPs, nurses and paramedics up here are going to have all the personal protective equipment, and we've designed a system that minimises any risk in terms of patient contact."
Dr Carter described the project - which has been turned around in about a week - as a "huge undertaking".
The new treatment centre is located in the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital's physiotherapy wing, where physio sessions have been put on hold, and will be in operation during GP opening times.
"It looks fantastic," said Dr Carter.
"We put partitions between the bays, and a big 6m by 6m marquee outside for the drive-thru assessment, and a tarmac road around the back of the unit. It's been a phenomenal effort.
He stressed that the new site will not provide overnight, in-patient care.
"We're just somewhere to do the general practice treatment," he said.
"If a patient comes here and we think they need to go to hospital, they will be directed to hospital."
Dr Navin Kumta, GP and chairman of NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, added: “The aim is to assess and treat patients who have Covid-19 symptoms, such as a persistent cough or a temperature over 37.8 degrees, in a safe setting and ensure patients without symptoms can be seen at the other sites with a minimal risk of infection.
"This includes the most vulnerable and those self-isolating.
“We are very grateful to everyone involved who has mobilised so quickly to put the new temporary arrangements in place.
"By reducing the chance of cross-contamination we will make it safer for everyone involved and reduce the pressure on our staff, some are which are having to self-isolate, meaning we have fewer GPs in the surgeries.”
