Celebration as first Covid-19 patients discharged from London’s NHS Nightingale hospital

The first coronavirus patients to be successfully treated at London’s new NHS Nightingale London are returning home to their loved ones.

Two men were applauded by staff as they left the pop-up facility at the ExCeL Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The field hospital, set up in the sprawling east London events hub, welcomed its first patients on April 7.

Those admitted required ventilators to breathe and were set to remain at the hospital until their course of ventilation was over, the hospital's chief medical director said at the time.

On Sunday, NHS England confirmed that a number had won their battle with Covid-19 and were returning home.

The health body tweeted: “We’re thrilled that the team at NHS Nightingale London have successfully treated and discharged their first coronavirus patients!

“Thank you to all the brilliant clinicians and support staff working so hard to care for patients in the capital.”

NHS England said one of the patients was Simon Chung, a father-of-one in his 50s, who has now been transferred to Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, north London, to continue his treatment.

Eamonn Sullivan, nursing director at NHS Nightingale London said: “This is wonderful news and testament to all the clinicians and support staff who have been working around the clock to care for our patients.

“Although these two patients being discharged today are now out of danger, their long road to recovery is a reminder of why everyone needs to do what they can to stay safe by following the Government’s advice.”

Special look inside the NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock responded by expressing his pride at the staff who worked tirelessly to ensure the virus sufferers’ recovery.

He tweeted: “So proud that the brilliant NHS Nightingale London team have treated and discharged their first coronavirus patients.”

The facility was built in nine days, though the NHS has never confirmed how many patients have been treated there, despite stating its capacity to cope with thousands of admissions.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: “The Nightingale London may have been built in a matter of days in response to this unprecedented global health emergency but there are excellent facilities and, of course, the staff working there are every bit as skilled and dedicated as those caring for patients at other NHS hospitals.

“We have not yet had to make extensive use of the Nightingale London thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, who have freed up more than 30,000 existing hospital beds, and the public, who have played their part by staying at home and saving lives.

“It will count as a huge success for the whole country if we never need to use them but with further waves of coronavirus possible it is important that we have these extra facilities in place and treating patients.”

The site was the UK's first coronavirus field hospital to open on April 3.

Others have been built, or are under construction, in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast, Bristol and Harrogate.

Announcing the news, the record-breaking fundraiser who will celebrate his 100th Birthday on Thursday, said: “I’m honoured to be opening the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber and to get to thank many of the NHS workers directly.

“I know that having extra beds available for the sick, if needed will be reassuring to those workers, as it would have been to me when I was on the front line.”

NHS Nightingale Hospital - In pictures

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