There have been reports in the media about some NHS trusts suspending the use of Entonox over concerns about how levels of waste gas might affect staff and service users.
Entonox is a mixture of nitrous oxide and air. Known more commonly as gas and air, it can be used as pain relief for women in labour.
In order to ease any concerns our service users may have, we have conducted tests to monitor the Entonox levels within our services at The Diamond Jubilee Lister Maternity Unit, and within our Emergency Department (including resus areas and paediatrics).
We are pleased to share the positive findings of our recent report into safe Entonox levels (gas and air) within our services.
Our Trust’s ventilation systems, as well as all Entonox outlets have been rigorously tested and found to be safe.
The monitored levels are significantly lower than the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) of 100ppm. The highest recorded reading for an 8-hour time-weighted average working period was just 0.81ppm.
We take the safety of our staff and patients very seriously, and we will continue to monitor these levels.
