Coronavirus: Two More Nightingale Hospitals To Open

Two more temporary NHS hospitals are to be built in Bristol and Harrogate, NHS England has announced.

Facilities at the University of the West of England and the Harrogate Convention Centre will treat patients from nearby areas and will provide the NHS with up to 1,500 extra beds.

The hospitals will be built by independent contractors, with the British Army available to support them if required.

The hospitals will share the 'Nightingale' name with the 4,000-bed facility at London's ExCel Centre which opens later on Friday.

Up to 200 Armed Forces personnel have worked 15-hour shifts to help build the hospital in under two weeks.

The NHS’ Chief Executive, Sir Simon Stevens, has called the building of the London hospital “nothing short of extraordinary”.

The Bristol hospital will be able to look after up to 1,000 patients, while Harrogate will care for up to 500.

They will join other sites due to open at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and Manchester’s Central Complex.

NHS hospitals have already managed to free up more than 33,000 beds which is equivalent to 50 new hospitals, according to the service.

Sir Stevens also said the extra four sites will add to the "surge capacity" in current NHS hospitals.

He said he hopes the facilities are not needed but that the NHS is "preparing in case they are".

Almost 3,000 have died in the UK following a COVID-19 diagnosis, whilst the total number of cases worldwide has exceeded one million.

Cover image: 500 beds will be built at the Harrogate Convention Centre (Picture: Harrogate Convention Centre).