NHS Nightingale Hospital London

NHS Nightingale Hospital London is a field hospital located in the ExCeL London convention centre in East London, United Kingdom. It was established in March 2020 as part of the United Kingdom's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

History

The NHS Nightingale Hospital London was officially opened on 3 April 2020 by Prince Charles, who attended the ceremony via video link due to the ongoing pandemic. The hospital was named after Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, to mark the 200th anniversary of her birth.

Facilities

The hospital has a capacity of up to 4,000 beds, making it one of the largest hospitals in the world. It was designed to treat patients with COVID-19, and is equipped with the necessary facilities to provide intensive care for those in critical condition. The hospital is staffed by NHS personnel, as well as volunteers from the British Army and the St John Ambulance service.

Operations

The hospital was initially used to treat patients transferred from other London hospitals, in order to free up beds in those facilities. However, as the number of COVID-19 cases in London decreased, the hospital was placed on standby in May 2020. It has since been used as a vaccination centre, and for training NHS staff.

Criticism

The hospital has faced criticism for its low patient numbers, with some arguing that the resources used to establish the hospital could have been better spent elsewhere. However, others have defended the decision to build the hospital, arguing that it provided a necessary contingency plan in case the pandemic worsened.

See also

• NHS Nightingale Hospitals
• COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
• Healthcare in the United Kingdom