UK to open two more Nightingale hospitals to deal with coronavirus cases
The UK will open two more Nightingale hospitals to handle the rising number of coronavirus cases, as the first opened at London’s Excel Centre today.
The new Nightingale hospitals in Bristol and Harrogate will provide 1,500 extra beds for patients afflicted by coronavirus. So far the outbreak has killed 2,921 people in the UK.
The University of the West of England in Bristol and the Harrogate Convention centre will the first sites outside London to be used.
The Bristol site will house up to 1,000 patients, while the one at Harrogate will be able to care for up to 500.
Similar hospitals are due to open at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and Manchester’s Central Complex.
The announcement comes as the first temporary Nightingale hospital, at London’s Excel Centre, will officially open today.
The east London facility has capacity for 4,000 patients. It was established in under a fortnight to deal with an expected upsurge in coronavirus patients.
NHS chief executive Simon Stevens said the construction of the Docklands Nightingale hospital was “nothing short of extraordinary”.
He added: “Now we are gearing up to repeat that feat at another four sites across the country to add to the surge capacity in current NHS hospitals.
“We’re giving the go ahead to these additional sites, hoping they may not be needed but preparing in case they are.”
Prince Charles is to open the Excel Centre Nightingale hospital via videolink from his Scottish residence today.
It will be used to treat patients from London and the south east.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “The NHS and the military have achieved something extraordinary in setting up NHS Nightingale, London in only a matter of days.
“It is testament to their hard work and dedication that an additional four hospitals will be rolled out across the nation.”
Meanwhile, NHS officials are ramping up critical care capacity in hospitals nationwide.
NHS England said it has freed up over 33,000 beds across the UK, the equivalent of 50 new hospitals.
A deal has also been struck with the independent hospital sector. The private sector will provide 8,000 extra beds, as well as staff and equipment.