When did NHS Nightingale hospital in London open and what other sites are there?
ONE of the UK's new Nightingale hospitals will be mothballed in days - weeks after it was officially opened to support coronavirus patients.
The country's continued success at fighting the deadly virus means the 4,000-bed facility, in the ExCel centre, east London, has seen few patients.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Why were the Nightingale hospitals built?
The London hospital was the first of a series of Nightingale facilities to be built across the country.
It was set up in the giant conference centre in Docklands.
All of the units were built to help deal with thousands of Covid-19 patients if the NHS became overwhelmed by the crisis.
However, this has thankfully not happened, and at its peak, the London hospital reportedly had just 51 patients.
It is one of a number of convention centres transformed into life-saving health facilities by NHS medics and military staff.
Tesco had originally planned to add pop-up shops in the facilities to help feed staff and patients.
The hospitals are based around the UK, including:
Harrogate, Yorkshire and the Humber
Captain Tom Moore was the guest of honour when he opened the Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate, Yorkshire.
The facility has 500 beds and is situated in the Harrogate Convention Centre.
Manchester (North West)
The 1,000-bed hospital set up at the Manchester Central Convention Complex has been up and running since April 13.
Birmingham
A Nightingale hospital opened in Birmingham at the NEC on April 16 with 500 beds, but it can be expanded to 1,500 if needed.
Bristol
Bristol will see the University of the West of England turned into a 300-1000 bed hospital. Spare student accommodation will house doctors and nurses.
North East, Washington, Tyne and Wear
The Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing, Washington, will host 460 beds and should be up and running in the next two weeks.
Exeter
There will be a 200 bed facility built at Westpoint Arena, Exeter. It will open in early May.
When did the NHS Nightingale hospital in London open?
Prince Charles opened the NHS Nightingale Hospital in London via video link on Friday, April 3.
The temporary hospital has 4,000 beds available for the public.
The hospital took just nine days to be fitted out and ready to accept patients at the London ExCeL Centre and consists of two wards.
Prince Charles, appearing via videolink at the opening from his Scottish home of Birkhall, said his thoughts and prayers would be with the patients who needed treatment for the deadly bug.
"It is without doubt a spectacular and almost unbelievable feat of work in every sense – from its speed of construction as we’ve heard to its size and the skills of those who have created it," he said.
"An example, if ever one was needed of how the impossible can be made possible and how we can achieve the unthinkable through human will and ingenuity."
In the stirring speech, he added: "In this dark time, this place will be a shining light."
The hospital is only open to members of the public who have contracted coronavirus.
Health secretary Matt Hancock revealed the plans to open the hospital in the government's daily press conference on March 23.
Leaked documents revealed before the facility was finished revealed the Nightingale in London was expecting "approximately 16-20 per cent of patients who arrive" to die.
Patients who are treated at the Nightingale will have been assessed at other hospitals and deemed to be in less immediate risk than those in intensive care units.
More frail people or those with more complex conditions will be cared for in established NHS hospitals.
It was initially believed the new hospital would need a massive workforce of up to 16,000 staff in clinical and ancillary roles to keep it running.
Hundreds of volunteers from the St John Ambulance charity with various levels of clinical training were due to help at the facility - with around 100 to work every shift.
Most read in news
But the government now believes that Britain has passed the peak of the outbreak and Boris Johnson is expected to announce an easing of social lockdown restrictions over the next week.
In a memo to staff, NHS bosses said that Nightingale will be placed on standby but must remain ready in the weeks and months to come.
They also added that staff should consider the possibility that coronavirus cases could rise again when No10 eases social distancing rules.
