| NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham | |
|---|---|
| University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust | |
View of the National Exhibition Centre, the site of the hospital, in 2015
| |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | National Exhibition Centre Solihull B40 1NT, West Midlands |
| Coordinates | 52°27′12″N 1°43′10″W / 52.45333°N 1.71944°W / 52.45333; -1.71944 |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | NHS England |
| Type | COVID-19 critical care |
| Services | |
| Beds |
|
| Helipad | Birmingham Airport |
| History | |
| Opened | 16 April 2020 |
| Closed | 1 April 2021 |
| Links | |
| Website | nightingale-birmingham |
The NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham was the second of the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospitals set up by NHS England to help to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was constructed inside the National Exhibition Centre, Solihull, and opened on 16 April 2020.[1] It cost £66.4 million to set up and was the most expensive of all the Nightingale temporary hospitals. On 1 April 2021 the hospital closed without ever treating a patient.[2]
To add extra critical care capacity during the COVID-19 epidemic in the UK, and to treat those with COVID-19, plans were made to create further temporary hospital spaces for those in need of treatment and care.[3][4] They have been named "Nightingale Hospitals", after Florence Nightingale who came to prominence for nursing soldiers during the Crimean War and is regarded as the founder of modern nursing.[5]
The hospital was constructed in 8 days by 400 civilian personnel, 500 clinical staff and military personnel to a cost of £66.4 million.[6][7] It was announced as operational on 10 April 2020,[8] and was initially scheduled to receive its first patients on 12 April.[9][10] It was formally opened by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, via remote video link, on 16 April.[11]
It was intended to support 23 Midlands hospitals by taking patients who were convalescing from having COVID-19, patients who are required less intensive treatment, and patients who needed palliative care.[9] In doing this it would have relieved pressure on conventional hospitals where the most seriously ill patients were treated.[9] The hospital fell under the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.[9]
It was the second temporary 'Nightingale Hospital' to be built in England,[9] following NHS Nightingale London, that opened on 3 April 2020 in the ExCeL London exhibition and convention centre.[12]
The hospital occupied halls 8-12 and 16 of the NEC, connected via the Atrium.[13] It had 496 beds divided into four wards from day one, with the option to expand to 800 immediately if needed.[14] A plan for a second phase was envisaged that would have brought the number of beds in use up to 2,000, however this was never necessary.[14] In the worst-case scenario 4,000 beds would have been available.[14]
It included a new Tesco store exclusively for the use of its staff.[15]
The hospital never treated any patients due to existing hospitals being able to absorb the increased demand.[2] It closed on 1 April 2021, less than a year after opening.[7]
The following were involved in the creation of the hospital:
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