Makeshift ExCeL hospital to be put ‘on standby’
The makeshift London NHS Nightingale hospital, at the ExCeL centre, is to be put ‘on standby’ because coronavirus in the capital remains under control.
The hospital was built in seven days and opened on April 3 at the Docklands centre, which is the venue for WTM London.
It currently has 500 beds but was designed with the ability to extend capacity up to 4,000 if needed. Just over 50 patients have so far needed to be treated at the hospital.
A Government spokesman said: "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.
"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."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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