UK opens new hospital erected in conference centre to fight coronavirus

[snoop1130]

UK opens new hospital erected in conference centre to fight coronavirus

 

FILE PHOTO: Members of the Military outside the NHS Nightingale hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, London, Britain April 2, 2020. REUTERS/Paul Childs/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - A new hospital, built in under two weeks in a conference centre in London to provide thousands of extra beds to treat those who have contracted coronavirus, will open its doors on Friday.

 

The Nightingale Hospital, which will initially provide up to 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen with the capacity increased to treat about 4,000 patients, has been created in the Excel Exhibition Centre in the Docklands area of east London, near the River Thames.

 

Built with help from the military, it is the first of six new temporary hospitals to be set up across the country to cope with the outbreak. So far, 2,921 people who have tested positive for the COVID-19 in Britain have died.

 

“It’s nothing short of extraordinary that this new hospital in London has been established from scratch in less than a fortnight,” said Simon Stevens, chief executive of the National Health Service (NHS).

 

“The NHS, working with the military, has done in a matter of days what usually takes years.”

 

The Excel Centre, which has more than 900,000 sq feet (83,613 sq metres) of exhibition space, normally hosts industry events for sectors like defence, travel, hospitality and property. During the 2012 London Olympics it was used for a sports such as boxing, fencing and weightlifting.

 

The new hospital will be opened remotely via videolink by heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, who also came out of self-isolation this week after suffering mild symptoms of coronavirus.

 

The temporary hospitals are been built to prevent Britain’s stretched National Health Service from being overwhelmed by an influx of patients with the number of those requiring treatment expected to peak in the next few weeks.

 

Health chiefs have also urgently appealed to workers without clinical qualifications to come forward to help run the Nightingale, which will require thousands of staff.

 

London has been the worst affected area in the country but further hospitals will also open in Manchester and Birmingham, in northwest and central England, to provide an extra 3,000 beds. Further facilities will also be set up in Bristol, in the southwest, and Harrogate, in the northeast.

 

Another temporary hospital will also be built in Glasgow in Scotland which will initially be able to handle 300 patients.

 

“The nation is facing an unprecedented global emergency and we are taking exceptional measures to ensure the NHS has whatever it needs to tackle this virus,” health minister Matt Hancock said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-03

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[Basil B]

Anybody notice who really built it?

 

Probably the UK's best regiment and they do not get equal rights or pay with other soldiers.

 

[Burma Bill]

15 hours ago, Basil B said:

Anybody notice who really built it?

 

Probably the UK's best regiment and they do not get equal rights or pay with other soldiers.

 

yes indeed - soldiers from The Royal Gurhka Rifles (Brigade of Gurhkas) from Nepal with their distinct "crossed" kukri insignia.  

[vogie]

15 hours ago, Basil B said:

Anybody notice who really built it?

 

Probably the UK's best regiment and they do not get equal rights or pay with other soldiers.

 

An outstanding achievement by anybodies standard and all you can come up with your usual BS, the Gurkhas get the same pay and pension as any other British soldier.

[Burma Bill]

20 minutes ago, vogie said:

An outstanding achievement by anybodies standard and all you can come up with your usual BS, the Gurkhas get the same pay and pension as any other British soldier.

Quote from The Telegraph (UK):-

Following Gurkha campaigning, in March 2007 pension rules were changed so veterans who retired after 1997 got equal pensions to other UK service personnel.

But those who retired before 1997 still get pensions that can be two-thirds lower than British soldiers.

The rationale for the lower rate is that many Gurkhas retire in Nepal, where living costs are lower. However, many settle in the UK.

Last week the MOD put an extra £15m into the pension scheme for pre-1997 Gurkhas.

 

[vogie]

1 minute ago, Burma Bill said:

Quote from The Telegraph (UK):-

Following Gurkha campaigning, in March 2007 pension rules were changed so veterans who retired after 1997 got equal pensions to other UK service personnel.

But those who retired before 1997 still get pensions that can be two-thirds lower than British soldiers.

The rationale for the lower rate is that many Gurkhas retire in Nepal, where living costs are lower. However, many settle in the UK.

Last week the MOD put an extra £15m into the pension scheme for pre-1997 Gurkhas.

 

This is about an hospital that is the biggest in the UK and was built in a couple of weeks, 

I say again an astounding achievement by anyones standard so why would somebody try and politicise by saying it was the Gurkhas that built it. I am sure that there was quite a mixture of military personnel involved with the project, I cannot imagine the rest of the British army sitting around on sandbags playing pontoon whilst we have a national emergency going on.

Some posters on here just wait for a wonderfull achievement to happen then they try and find something trivial to undermine it with, was it really necessary to point out the crossed kukras, the Gurkhas are part of the British Army, lets hear a cheer for all the Military and stop this nit picking.

[Burma Bill]

3 minutes ago, vogie said:

This is about an hospital that is the biggest in the UK and was built in a couple of weeks, 

I say again an astounding achievement by anyones standard so why would somebody try and politicise by saying it was the Gurkhas that built it. I am sure that there was quite a mixture of military personnel involved with the project, I cannot imagine the rest of the British army sitting around on sandbags playing pontoon whilst we have a national emergency going on.

Some posters on here just wait for a wonderfull achievement to happen then they try and find something trivial to undermine it with, was it really necessary to point out the crossed kukras, the Gurkhas are part of the British Army, lets hear a cheer for all the Military and stop this nit picking.

Yes indeed, and a great achievement. I also commend ALL military personnel and their efforts. I, personally, do not think I am nit-picking as my observations and comments were based on the published photograph which depicted Gurkhas erecting panels and lights. I remember several years ago when Gurkhas were the guards at the British Embassy in Bangkok. Have a nice day. 

[vogie]

3 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes indeed, and a great achievement. I also commend ALL military personnel and their efforts. I, personally, do not think I am nit-picking as my observations and comments were based on the published photograph which depicted Gurkhas erecting panels and lights. I remember several years ago when Gurkhas were the guards at the British Embassy in Bangkok. Have a nice day. 

My nit picking remark was not aimed at you Bill. ????

[natway09]

I agree, an outstanding achievement.

This is what they should do at Muang Thong Thani Convention Centre & use it to keep hospitals free.

Govt response "that we dont't need it"   ...........yet

Build it, set it up, if you never have to use it, it is a small price to pay

[Basil B]

4 hours ago, vogie said:

This is about an hospital that is the biggest in the UK and was built in a couple of weeks, 

I say again an astounding achievement by anyones standard so why would somebody try and politicise by saying it was the Gurkhas that built it. I am sure that there was quite a mixture of military personnel involved with the project, I cannot imagine the rest of the British army sitting around on sandbags playing pontoon whilst we have a national emergency going on.

Some posters on here just wait for a wonderfull achievement to happen then they try and find something trivial to undermine it with, was it really necessary to point out the crossed kukras, the Gurkhas are part of the British Army, lets hear a cheer for all the Military and stop this nit picking.

Apologies if I got it wrong but as far as I know they are still paid less and have less benefits, I know in the last 20 years things have improved but still Britain should be ashamed.

 

Maybe we need Andy Hall on the case...  

[Thongkorn]

4 hours ago, vogie said:

An outstanding achievement by anybodies standard and all you can come up with your usual BS, the Gurkhas get the same pay and pension as any other British soldier.

yes and quite rightly they can now get IDL and their families too.

[Thongkorn]

4 minutes ago, Basil B said:

Apologies if I got it wrong but as far as I know they are still paid less and have less benefits, I know in the last 20 years things have improved but still Britain should be ashamed.

 

Maybe we need Andy Hall on the case...  

you know nothing, they get paid the same as all the rest, its called Equal rights .

[roo860]

My old mob, Royal Engineers were heavily involved in this project.

To all the Military involved. 

[vogie]

54 minutes ago, roo860 said:

My old mob, Royal Engineers were heavily involved in this project.

To all the Military involved. 

It will be quite something for all involved with all the projects that are going on at this moment to look back at this in 40 years time.

My time with the REs (REME Plant Fitter) and all I can look back on is the Scottish dustbin strike and the fire brigade strike in the 70s, still have my Green Goddess tie though.