AN innovative idea which helped to save the lives of coronavirus patients has seen Warrington and Halton Hospitals shortlisted for another prestigious award. The black box is a simple medical device that was transformed into a life-saving therapy for some of the most seriously ill patients with Covid-19 in the spring of 2020. Aware of the expected national shortage of ventilators, a team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals across Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) made a brilliant discovery. It involved modifying simple continuous positive airway pressure black boxes, which are regularly used as therapy for significant breathing problems and low oxygen, as well as to treat patients with chronic sleep apnoea.