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Manchester’s Nightingale Hospital will reopen later this week, but it will function differently than it did in the first wave of the coronavirus crisis.
The temporary facility opened at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, formerly known as G-Mex, in April, but has been closed since the summer.
It was created by NHS England to care for hundreds of Covid-19 patients from across the North West and help hospitals cope with their capacity.
But later this week, when it reopens, it will be used for non-Covid patients.
Any hospital wishing to use beds in the facility must provide its own staff.
(Image: PA)
The first room has been commissioned by the Manchester Foundation Trust, which will manage the facility together with agency staff recruited by NHS professionals.
NHS England expects the first patients in the next few days.
A spokesperson said: “The NHS Nightingale Hospital North West will be able to accept patients later this week to provide care for those who do not have Covid-19 but need more support before they can return home, such as therapy and social services care evaluations. .
“This will help maintain routine NHS care in hospitals in the region.”
The new Manchester Nightingale model is unique to the North West.
Hospitals will use it for patients who need “additional rehabilitation.”
This means that, unlike the first wave, it will be used by patients who are not ready to go home after spending time in the hospital for reasons unrelated to Covid.
Some patients who were admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 but are still recovering could also be sent to the facility, a spokesperson confirmed.
NHS Trusts wishing to use the additional bed capacity must notify NHS England two weeks in advance and send their own staff to work on the premises.
(Image: Joel Goodman)
Jude Adams, executive director of delivery for the Northern Care Alliance, which runs hospitals and community services in Salford, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham, revealed the new Nightingale model at a board meeting Monday.
She said: “While there is capacity in terms of beds, there is no capacity in terms of staff. But there is the option of using Nightingale if we can provide that staff. “
He also warned the board that staffing levels could be affected by the new mandatory testing of NHS front-line staff who do not exhibit symptoms.
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Northern Care Alliance will have to evaluate 11,000 of its staff over two weeks.
The NHS Group is preparing for the worst-case 5 percent with positive results, based on results from other NHS trusts in the region, which could mean that up to 550 staff members are unable to work for some time while they isolate themselves.
A spokesperson for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group said: “Based on advice from Public Health England and Chief Medical Officer, we are processing asymptomatic COVID-19 tests from front-line personnel to strengthen our efforts to prevent and control the spread of infections. in our region our organization “.
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