Staff at key North West of England venue Manchester Central and its supporting contractors have been praised for their work in helping set up the new NHS Nightingale North West hospital.
The temporary hospital at the 23,000sqm venue has been expanded to provide a 750-bed capacity for Covid-19 patients across the region.
An announcement from the NHS in March had projected an initial 500 beds on the site.
Ian Williamson, the project lead for NHS Nightingale Hospital North West, paid tribute to not only NHS workers and the British Army, but to the events personnel too. He noted: “It has only been possible thanks to the incredible teamwork approach from the NHS, but also the British Army, the many building contractors who have been here and, of course, the venue itself which has been kind enough to let us use this space.”
Major Matthew Fry of the Royal Engineers, the military assessment commander deployed on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for the project, said the tight time-frame had been a challenge. “Usually a field hospital would take four-to-six years to build, rather than two weeks. You are trying to follow all those thought-processes and considerations…at the same time mobilising a construction force.”
Manchester Central Chief Executive Shaun Hinds said: “The Manchester Central team has pulled out every stop to help get the facility mobilised as quickly as possible. The pace at which the operation got underway and the way all parties have come together to make this happen is truly commendable.”
Manchester’s Deputy Mayor, Sir Richard Leese, praised the “can–do attitude” of all involved, noting: “[Just] a couple of weeks has seen the incredible change from conference and exhibition hall to hospital, and it is humbling to witness the partnership across the NHS, the military and the venue bring this to life.”
