Coronavirus: London’s NHS Nightingale to be placed ‘on standby’
London’s NHS Nightingale is being put “on standby”, with no new coronavirus patients expected at the temporary hospital.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said today that the makeshift hospital, located at the Excel centre, was being mothballed due to limited demand.
The hospital was built to handle up to 4,000 Covid-19 patients, however fewer than 20 patients are currently being treated there.
“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,” the spokesman said.
“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.”
Staff were alerted to the news via an email from Nightingale London chief executive Charles Knight.
“Thanks to the determination and sacrifice of Londoners in following the expert advice to stay home and save lives we have not had to expand the Nightingale’s capacity beyond the first ward,” he said.
“It is likely that in the coming days we will not need to be admitting patients to the London Nightingale, while coronavirus in the capital remains under control.”