COVID-19 hospitals in the United Kingdom are temporary hospitals set up in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and overseas territories as part of the response to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
They principally include the seven
NHS England Nightingale Hospitals,
NHS Scotland's Louisa Jordan hospital,
NHS Wales' Dragon's Heart Hospital, and the
Northern Irish Health and Social Care site at
Belfast City Hospital, as well as the Florence Nightingale temporary hospital in the
Europa Point Sports Complex
Europa Sports Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar; it was previously a Ministry of Defence cricket pitch. In 2019 it hosted the Island Games opening ceremony and will also host the annual Gibraltar Music Festival.
In February 2014 the ...
,
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = " God Save the King"
, song = " Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gib ...
.
Background
As the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
first took hold in the United Kingdom, its government and the public health services of the
home nations started planning the creation of temporary large-scale critical care hospitals to provide cover for the projected increase in patients likely to require this type of treatment. It reflected wider NHS re-structuring to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipated strain on NHS services
The initiative is being carried out in coordination with the British Armed Forces'
COVID Support Force
Operation Rescript is the code name for the British military operation to help tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies. It has been described as the UK's "biggest ever homeland military operation i ...
, under the
Military Aid to the Civil Authorities provisions, as part of
Operation Rescript.
The field hospitals were intended to be used treat critical care patients regarded as being less severely ill, while the most severely ill patients would be treated in mainstream NHS hospitals.
In the early part of 2020, the hospitals saw relatively few Covid patients, and as case number dropped over the summer they were either mothballed or re-purposed.
On 12 October 2020, amidst a rise in cases in Northern England, the hospitals in
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...
,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
were placed on standby in readiness to admit patients with COVID-19.
NHS England
The NHS Nightingale Hospitals were seven
critical care temporary hospitals established by
NHS England
NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...
as part of the response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in England
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020. The two main public bodies responsible for health in England are NHS England and Public ...
. The hospitals were named after
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...
, who came to prominence for nursing soldiers during the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
and is regarded as the founder of modern
nursing
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...
.
The
NHS Nightingale Hospital London
The NHS Nightingale Hospital London was the first of the NHS Nightingale Hospitals, temporary hospitals set up by NHS England for the COVID-19 pandemic. It was housed in the ExCeL London convention centre in East London. The hospital was rapid ...
opened first on 3 April 2020. , six of the seven planned hospitals had opened, and by the following month all had been placed on standby. The Harrogate and Exeter hospitals were repurposed as diagnostic clinics in June and July respectively.
In the event, almost all of the increased demand for critical care was met by expanding capacity in existing hospitals. By June, all the temporary hospitals had been placed on standby. Only two had admitted patients: 54 were treated at
NHS Nightingale Hospital London
The NHS Nightingale Hospital London was the first of the NHS Nightingale Hospitals, temporary hospitals set up by NHS England for the COVID-19 pandemic. It was housed in the ExCeL London convention centre in East London. The hospital was rapid ...
(all of them in April) and just over 100 at
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
.
The
Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
supermarket chain planned pop-up branches of its
convenience stores in the NHS Nightingale hospitals to provide shopping facilities for hospital staff. It opened the first one in Birmingham Nightingale on 13 April.
Technology companies
Cisco
Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...
and
BT volunteered to build the hospital's medical-grade
computer network
A computer network is a set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes. The computers use common communication protocols over digital interconnections to communicate with each other. These interconnections are ...
s.
In June 2020, the
Department of Health and Social Care estimated the combined set-up costs of the hospitals to be £220million, and stated that running costs for the month of April (for the five which opened during that month) were approximately £15m.
By January 2021, the estimated total cost of establishing, running and decommissioning the hospitals was forecast to be £532 million by April 2022.
In November 2020, during the second wave of infections in England, only the Exeter and Manchester hospitals admitted patients. Apart from London and Sunderland which were to remain open as vaccination centres, and Exeter which was to continue to be used for diagnostics, all other Nightingales were scheduled to close by April 2021.
Overall, by August 2021, fewer than 1000 patients were treated in the emergency hospitals.
Birmingham
On 27 March, chief executive of
NHS England
NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...
Sir Simon Stevens announced a temporary facility providing up to 5,000-beds at
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
's
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition centre located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway stati ...
would open in mid-April.
The hospital became operational on 10 April, with an initial 804 beds followed within 2 weeks by an additional 384 beds.
It was officially opened as ''NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham'' by
Prince William
William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Born in London, William was educat ...
, using a video link, on 16 April.
The hospital was designed as a 'step down facility', for patients recovering from COVID-19 or those not suitable for ventilation. It was reported a supporting temporary mortuary was being constructed near Birmingham airport.
On 5 May, it was announced that the 1188 bed hospital would be stood down to standby, having admitted no patients.
Bristol
On 3 April, NHS England announced that a hospital for the
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
area was to be built in
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England (also known as UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England.
The institution was know as the Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; it received university status in 1992 and ...
(UWE).
The hospital is stated to have a planned capacity of up to 300 beds and is located in the Exhibition and Conference Centre on UWE Bristol's Frenchay campus.
Spare student accommodation is also to be made available for doctors and nurses at the Frenchay campus.
The hospital was to have space for up to 1,000 beds, if needed.
According to the vice-chancellor of UWE,
Steve West, all buildings and car parks required for the hospital have been leased to the NHS for a fee of £1, for as long as is needed.
This hospital was officially opened on 27 April 2020, in a
virtual ceremony
Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Encyc ...
, by
Matt Hancock (
health secretary),
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar, (Edward Antony Richard Louis; born 10 March 1964) is a member of the British royal family. He is the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest sibl ...
, and the chief executive of
NHS England
NHS England, officially the NHS Commissioning Board, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care. It oversees the budget, planning, delivery and day-to-day operation of the commissioning side of the ...
,
Simon Stevens
Simon Laurence Stevens, Baron Stevens of Birmingham, (born 4 August 1966) is a British public policy adviser, former CEO, and independent member of the UK House of Lords. He served as the eighth Chief Executive of the National Health Service ...
.
It has the capacity to care for 60 patients, with the ability to scale up to 300 if required.
Cumbria
On 1 April 2020, it was reported that leisure centres in Cumbria, including the
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...
Sports Centre, the
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...
Sands Centre, the
Penrith Leisure Centre,
Kendal
Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England, south-east of Windermere and north of Lancaster. Historically in Westmorland, it lies within the dale of th ...
Leisure Centre and
Furness Academy in
Barrow
Barrow may refer to:
Places
England
* Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
** Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, local authority encompassing the wider area
** Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency)
* Barrow, Cheshire
* Barrow, Gloucestershire
* Barro ...
were confirmed field hospital sites. Work started on 1 April and when complete there would be 500 beds.
Exeter
On 10 April, it was announced that a temporary hospital would be provided in
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
.
The hospital, originally expected to be built in the Westpoint Arena near
Clyst St Mary
Clyst St Mary is a small village and civil parish east of Exeter on the main roads to Exmouth and Sidmouth in East Devon. The name comes from the Celtic word clyst meaning 'clear stream'. The village is a major part of the electoral ward of ...
, and provide 200 beds, was due to be ready for use in early May.
With the number of COVID-19 cases in the catchment area being lower than first expected, the decision was taken to switch to a smaller site at a former
Homebase retail outlet in
Sowton
Sowton is a village and civil parish east of Exeter in East Devon, England. It has a population of 639.
Its parish council merged with that of nearby Clyst St Mary in 1976 to form Bishop's Clyst.
St Michael's church was rebuilt in 1844–45 ...
.
The site was initially leased for nine months, and 116 beds were provided.
From 6 July 2020, the hospital was used for cancer screening, and was open for twelve hours each day.
It has also been used for vaccine trials.
On 26 November the hospital received its first COVID-19 patients, who were transferred from the
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (commonly referred to as RD&E), and with a main site sometimes known as Wonford Hospital, is a large teaching hospital situated in Exeter, Devon, England, and is run by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NH ...
as it was "very busy".
Harrogate
On 3 April, a hospital for
Harrogate
Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor at ...
, Yorkshire was announced by NHS England, with a 500-bed capacity, in the
Harrogate Convention Centre
Harrogate Convention Centre is a convention and exhibition centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.
History
Previously named Harrogate International Centre it was renamed Harrogate Convention Centre in April 2017. The centre has been ...
.
Tom Moore, a 99-year-old army veteran who had raised more £27M to support health service workers, officially opened the hospital on 21 April 2020.
From 4 June the hospital was opened as a radiology outpatient clinic, offering
CT scanning
A computed tomography scan (CT scan; formerly called computed axial tomography scan or CAT scan) is a medical imaging technique used to obtain detailed internal images of the body. The personnel that perform CT scans are called radiographers ...
.
On 12 October 2020, amidst a rise in cases in Northern England, the hospital was placed on standby to admit COVID-19 patients.
In March 2021, it was confirmed the hospital would close.
London
On 24 March 2020, the
UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock, who was responsible for the NHS in England, announced that
ExCeL London
ExCeL London (an abbreviation for Exhibition Centre London) is an exhibition centre, international convention centre and former hospital in the Custom House, Newham, Custom House area of London Borough of Newham, Newham, East London. It is sit ...
would be the first field hospital. It was planned to initially have 500 beds, with the capacity for 4,000–5,000 beds across its two wards if necessary later.
[
It was reported a large mortuary was also being constructed on Wanstead Flats, a few miles to the north of the hospital. It was also reported that the hospital would be the largest critical care unit in the world.]
Also on 3 April, the London hospital became the first to enter service when it was officially opened by Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
by videolink.
On 4 May 2020, it was announced that the hospital would be stood down to standby, and would not admit any new patients.
Events which were to take place at ExCeL London were postponed, cancelled or moved online. An example of the latter was the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...
Turbo Expo 2020 conference, planned for 22–26 June.
Manchester
On 27 March, Simon Stevens also announced that a 1,000-bed hospital was to be provided in the Manchester Central Convention Complex, also due to open in mid-April.[
The hospital was ready to receive patients on Easter Sunday, 13 April 2020.] The official opening, by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in a recorded speech, took place on 17 April 2020.
On 12 October 2020, amidst a rise in cases in Northern England, the hospital was placed on standby to admit COVID-19 patients.
Sunderland
On 10 April, it was announced that a 460-bed facility would be built in Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
, Tyne and Wear. The hospital, at the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing
The International Advanced Manufacturing Park is a British business park located in the City of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. The site is located next to Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK, the UK's second largest car manufacturing site. It is a developme ...
, was expected to be ready for use within two weeks and be operated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The hospital was officially opened on 5 May 2020, in a virtual ceremony
Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Encyc ...
, by Matt Hancock ( Secretary of State for Health). The opening ceremony also featured television celebrities Ant and Dec
Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo, consisting of Anthony McPartlin (born 18 November 1975) and Declan Donnelly (born 25 September 1975), from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Formed after their meeting as child actors on CBBC's dr ...
, football pundit Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer CBE DL (born 13 August 1970) is an English football pundit and retired football player and manager who played as a striker. Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in Premie ...
and cricketer Ben Stokes
Benjamin Andrew Stokes (born 4 June 1991) is an English international cricketer who is the captain of the England Test team and plays for the England Twenty20 International (T20I) team. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has playe ...
.
On 12 October 2020, amidst a rise in cases in Northern England, the hospital was placed on standby to admit COVID-19 patients.
NHS Scotland
, the SEC Centre in Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
was converted to the NHS Louisa Jordan, a temporary hospital serving Scotland. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the facility would have a 300-bed capacity but with the potential to raise it beyond 1,000 beds. The facility was named NHS Louisa Jordan after the World War I nurse Louisa Jordan.
NHS Wales
Cardiff
On 27 March 2020, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) ( cy, Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Caerdydd a'r Fro) is the local health board of NHS Wales for Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan, in the south-east of Wales. Formed on 1 October 2009 through the amalgama ...
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
Len Richards announced that the Principality Stadium
The Millennium Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm y Mileniwm), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium ( cy, Stadiwm Principality) for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it is the home of the Wales national rug ...
would be turned into a temporary hospital with 2,000 beds. It was to be the third largest hospital in the United Kingdom, after the Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre London and the Nightingale Hospital at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre.
On 8 April its name was given as the Dragon's Heart Hospital
Dragon's Heart Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig) was a temporary hospital located at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. It opened on 13 April 2020 to help deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. It was decommissioned toward ...
( cy, Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig) and it was announced that the first 300 beds would be available on 11 April.
After the last patient left the hospital on 4 June, it was reported that the hospital was placed on a standby status.
In September it was reported that the hospital is to be replaced by a smaller facility nearby, next to the University Hospital of Wales
University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...
, Cardiff.[Coronavirus: New field hospital replaces Principality Stadium site]
14 September 2020 ''www.bbc.co.uk'', accessed 20 September 2020
Regional temporary hospitals
In addition, work has begun to provide 340 bed spaces at Llandarcy Academy of Sport in Neath
Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...
and 150 beds at a council facility in Ty Trevithick in Abercynon
Abercynon (), is both a village and a community (and electoral ward) in the Cynon Valley within the unitary authority of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. The community comprises the village and the districts of Carnetown and Grovers Field to the south, ...
, while Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. ...
is to be used to provide 500 beds, with Rodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, South Wales, owned and operated by the Welsh Rugby Union. It is located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre. The ground is on Rodney Road, a short walk from the city's cen ...
in Newport
Newport most commonly refers to:
*Newport, Wales
*Newport, Rhode Island, US
Newport or New Port may also refer to:
Places Asia
*Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay
Europe
Ireland
*Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...
being turned into a testing station. In northern Wales, Venue Cymru
Venue Cymru is a theatre, conference centre and arena in Llandudno, Conwy County Borough, North Wales. Formerly known as the Aberconwy Centre and the North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre, it is now a large arts, conference and events ven ...
in Llandudno
Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...
was prepared to receive 350 beds, Deeside Leisure Centre
Deeside Leisure Centre is a sports centre located in Queensferry, Flintshire. Its facilities include Deeside Ice Rink (an Olympic-sized inline hockey rink), badminton courts, and squash courts. The centre was the venue for the 1974 Wightman Cup ...
in Flintshire to have 250 beds, with an extra 80 beds at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, while Bangor University
, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007)
, image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg
, image_size = 250px
, caption = Arms
...
was to be prepared to receive 250 beds.
The Bluestone National Park Resort in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
is to be used as a recovery centre for COVID-19 patients.
The Bay Field Hospital, Swansea
In April 2020, Bay Studios on the site of the former Swansea Bay Motor Factory located on the outskirts of Swansea City Centre was announced by Swansea Council to be the chosen site for a 1,000-bed hospital. Within 1 month 420 beds and 80 discharge seats were made available, and the facility was handed over to the Swansea Bay University Health Board on 10 May 2020. Swansea Council funded the Swansea Bay Hospital injecting £50 million of available funds in to the project which was set aside for the new indoor arena which is currently being built in the City Centre.
Rationalisation, autumn 2020
During the earlier part of 2020, a total of 19 'field hospitals' were constructed across Wales (one source gives '17 and 2 community discharge units'). These included conversions of existing health facilities as well as purpose-built hospitals and conversions of stadia and other leisure facilities. In September 2020, it was announced that these would be rationalised down to a total of 10 such special facilities.[
]
HSC Northern Ireland
HSC Northern Ireland started planning for a similar initiative in mid-March 2020, with a number of sites under consideration.
HSC Northern Ireland is also using the "Nightingale" name for its hospitals.
On 2 April it was reported that the tower block of Belfast City Hospital was being converted into the first Nightingale in Northern Ireland. The block was to become a 230-bed unit staffed by a team drawn from across Northern Ireland.
The same report also stated that First Minister Arlene Foster
Arlene Isobel Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (née Kelly; born 17 July 1970), is a British broadcaster and politician from Northern Ireland who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2021 and ...
had revealed that a Nightingale hospital could be based at the Eikon Exhibition Centre
The Eikon Exhibition Centre in an events venue at Balmoral Park, Lisburn, Northern Ireland. The name comes from the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic grou ...
in Balmoral Park Balmoral Park can mean:
* Balmoral Park, Illinois, a horse racing track in Crete, Illinois
* Balmoral Park, Lisburn
Balmoral Park is an exhibition park near Lisburn, Northern Ireland. It occupies the site of the previous Maze Long Kesh internme ...
, and that the Department of Health was assessing its potential as a second Nightingale facility in preparation for a possible second wave later in 2020.
Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA)
A "Nightingale" field hospital was completed in Gibraltar at the Europa Point Sports Complex, during the week of 3 April 2020.[ In May it was described as being about to be progressively mothballed, with its equipment to be kept stored and the facility to be available for use at 5–7 days' notice.][Mothballed Nightingale could be up and running within days if needed]
16 May 2020 ''www.chronicle.gi'', accessed 22 October 2020
Jersey
A "Nightingale" field hospital was completed as a 'wing' of Jersey General Hospital
Jersey General Hospital in Saint Helier is the only hospital on the island of Jersey. It has 219 beds.
Medical students are placed at the hospital by the Wessex Deanery of Health Education England.
History
It was originally a poorhouse. The fou ...
(on a playing field away) and opened on 11 May 2020.
Staffing
At full capacity, it was estimated that the NHS Nightingale Hospital London
The NHS Nightingale Hospital London was the first of the NHS Nightingale Hospitals, temporary hospitals set up by NHS England for the COVID-19 pandemic. It was housed in the ExCeL London convention centre in East London. The hospital was rapid ...
alone would need up to 16,000 workers to keep it running.
Nursing leaders expressed concern about where the extra workers to staff the new hospitals would be found. The government issued a call for airline cabin crew to volunteer to be cross-trained as specialist health assistants.
List of actual and planned hospitals
See also
* Fangcang hospital
Fangcang hospital () refers to a kind of makeshift/mobile field hospitals used during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.
History and usage
Such hospitals were intended for large-scale medical isolation and instituted either by establishing rapidly ...
* Covid-19 hospital
COVID-19 hospital is a general name given to clinical institutions that provide medical treatment to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected patients. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s COVID-19 regulations, it is critical t ...
References
{{COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
*
United Kingdom responses to the COVID-19 pandemic