MAJOR MILESTONE
NHS Nightingale to be mothballed in days as success in halting coronavirus spread leaves 4,000-bed hospital nearly empty
NHS Nightingale in London will be mothballed in days as success in fighting the spread of coronavirus left the 4,000-bed hospital nearly empty.
The facility in the ExCel centre, east London, will be placed on standby after the final patients leave this week.
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There is currently about 20 people being treated at the hospital, The Sun understands.
They will be transferred to other hospitals in the coming days, it is understood.
At its peak NHS Nightingale – which has sister facilities across the UK – is believed to have only treated as many as 51 patients.
The hospital was set up in the giant conference centre in Docklands to help deal with thousands of covid-19 patients if the NHS became overwhelmed by the crisis.
However, thankfully due to the public widely adhering to the Government’s social distancing guidelines this has not been the case.
Despite the progress made with the lockdown, the UK's overall death toll hit 28,650 today.
London remains the country's Covid-19 epicentre, but the North West could soon overtake the capital as the worst hit region.
NIGHTINGALE ON STANDBY
The Government now believes that Britain is 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.
A spokesman for No10 said today that no more admissions to NHS Nightingale would take place in the coming days, confirming the hospital would be placed “on standby”.
He added: "It's not likely that in the coming days we will need to be admitting patients to the London Nightingale while coronavirus in the capital remains under control.
What the Nightingale will be is effectively placed on standby so it would be ready to receive patients should that be required.
No10 spokesman
"That's obviously a very positive thing and we remain grateful to everybody in London for following the Government's advice in helping to protect the NHS.
"What the Nightingale will be is effectively placed on standby so it would be ready to receive patients should that be required, but we are not anticipating that will be the case."
Manchester’s Nightingale hospital is currently treating patients, while Birmingham, Harrogate and Bristol are ready to take people in when needed, the spokesman added.
Sunderland and Exeter are “due to open shortly”.
The hospitals were "absolutely not" a waste of money, the spokesman said.
MILITARY OPERATION
The first patients were admitted to the London facility on April 7.
A combination of NHS staff, contractors and up to 200 military personnel took part in the hospital's construction - which was completed in just nine days.
The hospital, which opened officially on April 3, is being used to treat Covid-19 patients who have been transferred from other intensive care units across the capital.
Those admitted to the hospital are already on a ventilator and will remain at the Nightingale until their course of ventilation is finished.
Coronavirus patients suffering from other serious conditions, such as cardiac issues, will be cared for at other specialist centres.
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A source close to the hospital said: “As an initial idea, the Nightingale made a great deal of sense.
“The rationale for that is receding quite rapidly. We are having to think about what to do next.”
They added: “There are still patients and staff are still caring for patients but there have been no admissions in the past week. The numbers are going down.”
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