Introduction Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), was first identified in the UK on 29 January 2020.1, 2 The ensuing pandemic mandated urgent modifications to the National Health Service (NHS), responding to anticipated staffing shortages,3-5 a possible surge in patients requiring critical care6, 7 and the need to reduce face‐to‐face contact to minimise the risk of nosocomial transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2.