Bristol's Nightingale Hospital getting 'winter ready' in case of coronavirus second wave
Bristol’s Nightingale Hospital will emerge from its ‘standby’ hibernation in order to prepare for the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus.
The hospital was built earlier this year in just a matter of weeks at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus.
It opened in April, providing up to 300 intensive care beds for Covid-19 patients - but it was never used and was demoted to ‘standby’ status in June.
In September, a Nightingale spokesperson said the facility would remain on standby despite a rise in cases.
However, UWE has now confirmed the hospital is getting “winter ready” in case there is a second wave of the virus.
Ahead of a panel discussion on the newly-built hospital, the university said: "After going into stand-by mode at the end of June, the Bristol Nightingale hospital is now being set up as ‘winter ready.’
"Initially the lecture theatre in the hospital is to be used for storage so that equipment and stores can be safely moved inside from the temporary marquees outside the hospital as we head into autumn."
A huge team of construction workers, university staff, NHS and Army personnel helped transform UWE’s conference centre into a fully-functioning hospital in just 20 days.
Bristol was one of several locations chosen to host a Nightingale hospital, although most were not used.
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