A Queensland hospital has enlisted the help of a new colleague who rolls through wards and can tend to patients at their bedside without breaking strict infection control protocols.

Temi is the “robo doctor” doing the rounds at Greenslopes Private Hospital in Brisbane.

She’s about the same height as a patient in bed, and has a small monitor for a face, which beams across a live picture of the doctor or staff member wanting to speak with the patient.

The hospital’s emergency director Dr Mark Baldwin says the robot has enabled staff to monitor patients in isolation while keeping them safe from infection and saving on precious personal protective equipment (PPE).