Commissioning a new hospital isolation unit and assessment of its use over five years.

Experience in commissioning and running a new hospital isolation unit, together with some problems and their solutions are described. The main problems were low bed-occupancy and insufficient work for the staff. This was solved by admitting both infected and non-infected cases including immunosuppressed. An assessment of the unit and benefits derived after 5 years use was made. A reduction in outbreaks of hospital infection and in ward closures resulting from infection was demonstrated.