NHS Nightingale officially opened by Prince Charles as coronavirus field hospital becomes world's largest critical care unit

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Prince Charles evoked the memory of war time nurse Florence Nightingale today as he opened London’s giant coronavirus hospital, saying it was a “shining light” in this ‘dark time’.

Opening the special Nightingale hospital - established at the ExCel centre to battle the virus - Charles said: “The name of this hospital could not have been more aptly chosen."

In his first ever virtual royal engagement, the prince went on: “Florence Nightingale, the lady with the lamp, brought hope and healing to thousands in their darkest hour. In this dark time this place will be a shining light."

The heir to the throne also thanked NHS staff, the military and construction workers who worked round the clock to transform the ExCel centre into a crisis medical facility to ease the growing pressure on hospitals amid the crisis.

Special look inside the NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures

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The prince, recovering from coronavirus in his home in Birkhall, Scotland, praised their “tireless” team effort in the first live address by a member of the Royal Family since the crisis began.

Further praising the facility he said its opening will be an "intensely practical" message of hope during a time of "national suffering".

The prince added that the Nightingale hospital “is symbolic of the selfless care and devoted service taking place in innumerable settings, with countless individuals, throughout the United Kingdom".

He said he would pray that it will be needed for a short time and for "as few people as possible".

"Let us also pray that it will be required for a short a time and for as few people as possible," he said.

"Let us hope ladies and gentlemen that it will not be too long before this terrible disease has left our land."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock attended the opening in person and said it was testament to the "best efforts" of a number of workers.

"It is the best of efforts, it is the best of the NHS and it is the best of Britain to come together," he said.

It will see its first patients either over the weekend or early next week, he told Sky.

NHS Nightingale already has 500 beds and capacity for 3,500 more.

It will be used to treat patients who have been transferred from intensive care units across the capital.

Other such additional facilities are planned for Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

Work began on the London base on March 23 and has been led by the managing director of St Bartholomew’s hospital Professor Charles Knight, who has been appointed the Nightingale’s chief executive, and military medics.

The first 42 beds, equipped with ventilators, will be available from today. However, health chiefs don’t expect the first patients to arrive until next week as almost 500 intensive care beds are currently available in London hospitals.

Matthew Trainer, deputy chief executive of the Nightingale, told the Standard during a tour of the new facility: “Our aim is to get Londoners out of here alive and we need people to keep following the guidelines on social distancing that will help us.

“We are in extraordinary times and the people here have responded in an extraordinary way. The Chinese built a hospital incredibly quickly and people said we would not be able to do that here. But we have and we should be proud.”

It is understood that it will receive slightly “lower risk” patients from other London hospitals whose ITUs get close to capacity. Vulnerable or frail elderly patients with co-morbidities such as diabetes or chronic lung disease are less likely to be transferred, especially if they are dependent on other organ support.

Each ward will be run by an intensive care consultant, supported by four other doctors. There will be a nurse for every six beds.

Hundreds of staff from trusts such as Barts Health and Imperial College Healthcare volunteered to work at the Nightingale. They are being joined by newly-qualified medical students, student nurses and former NHS staff who have re-joined.

Mr Trainer, who has been seconded from Oxleas NHS trust in south London, said: “If a relative of mine needed treatment I would be happy for them to be in this hospital. It’s not a field hospital. It’s a well-run, well equipped hospital. The staff have everything they need including protective equipment.”

He did not rule out the Nightingale receiving patients from hospitals outside London. He said: “Initially it will be for London only then we will see.”

Patients will initially arrive in the 38-bed Florence South ward for assessment. The 78 wards are all named after renowned healthcare figures.

Each bed has a state of the art ventilator and there are maps on bed headboards showing where different sections of the hospital are based.

Hundreds of builders are still working on the site, equivalent in size to a dozen football pitches, and a round the clock. There are hand-sanitising stations throughout the hospital and tight security. Patients will be brought by ambulance to an entrance adjacent to the wards.

The storage tank holds 12.2 million litres of oxygen and it is taken round the hospital through 25 kilometres of piping.

Planning documents seen by Health Service Journal reportedly warn that “approximately 16-20 per cent of patients who arrive at Nightingale might not survive”.

Medical director Dr Alan McGlennan said: “The best thing people can do to help us is to wash their hands, follow social distancing and obey the rules. The aim is to get people out of here alive.

“We are ready today to do what’s required of us, but my hope is that we are not needed.”

Listen to today's episode of The Leader: Coronavirus Daily podcast

NHS England today announced plans for two further Nightingale hospitals, in addition to those already planned for Birmingham and Manchester. The latest hospitals will be built in Bristol, with 1,000 beds, and Harrogate, with 500.

The Birmingham NEC and Manchester Central Complex hospitals will initially have 500 beds but be able to provide up to a total of 3,000 beds if required.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS England chief executive, said: “It’s nothing short of extraordinary that this new hospital in London has been established from scratch in less than a fortnight. The NHS, working with the military, has done in a matter of days what usually takes years.”

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