Coronavirus: How NHS Nightingale was built in just nine days

BBC ^ | 9 April 2020 | beeb

[Cronos]

East London's ExCeL exhibition centre, which normally plays host to lifestyle shows, expos and conferences, has been converted into the temporary NHS Nightingale hospital, with space for 4,000 beds.

In nine days, the 87,328 square metres of double exhibition halls have been fitted out with the framework for about 80 wards, each with 42 beds. Some 500 fully-equipped beds, with oxygen and ventilators, are already in place and there is space for another 3,500.

If it did reach capacity, it would be one of the largest hospitals in the world.

Each ward is named after a different British doctor, nurse or other medical professional.

The first two wards to open will be named Lady Harriett Acland and Ethel Bedford-Fenwick after two nurses whose work in the 18th and 19th centuries paved the way for modern nursing.

The facility, which was officially opened on 3 April, was built with the help of up to 200 soldiers a day from the Royal Anglian Regiment and Royal Gurkha Rifles, working long shifts alongside NHS staff and contractors.

[Cronos]

Excellent work by the British Army and NHS.

[Winniesboy]

See also: We drew up the plan over a brew

(freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3830506/posts)

[Lurker]

Well done.

L

[misanthrope]

Where do they come up with the staff?

[Winniesboy]

That’s the key question. Partly it’s retired medics, nurses etc voluntarily returning to work; partly accelerated final-year med students; partly volunteers for all non-medical roles (eg lots of laid-off airline cabin crew have volunteered); partly spreading staff/patient ratio more thinly in non-covid related care. But it remains to be seen whether this will be enough when demand reaches its peak, especially in the more senior roles.