Massive effort to create new health facility for region's Covid-19 patients

NHS staff have been joined by experts from the military, social care, local government and charities to create a new hospital at Manchester Central in less than two weeks.

Within days, NHS Nightingale Hospital North West will be equipped and staffed to receive up to 750 patients.

Medical staff will look after Covid-19 patients from across the region who do not need intensive care but still need treatment.

Project lead Ian Williamson said: “Many of you will be familiar with this iconic building in the centre of Manchester. In the last 10 days it has been transformed from a convention centre into a temporary hospital.

“The point we’re at now is that the bed cubicles have started to be built, all of the ancillary services are being prepared and we are on track for delivering our new temporary hospital on Easter Sunday.

“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 who have been kind enough to let us use this space.”

He said there had been an “incredible reaction” to a recruitment advertisement on Saturday, with more than 18,000 applications and expressions of interest already received.

NHS Professionals is targeting those who have left or taken a break from their profession in the last three years, or work as part of the large bank of temporary workforce across the NHS.

There are also a large number of non-clinical roles available.

Major Matthew Fry, of the Royal Engineers, the military assessment commander deployed on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, said: ““Any other hospital you would normally be looking at something like four to six years to deliver a project of that nature.

“The real challenge here has been to essentially deliver a similar kind of project in 12 days, with all of the relevant input from the key stakeholders, the clinicians, the people that are going to be doing the staffing.

“We’ve been looking at the processes and procedures, how it is all going to flow

“You’re trying to follow all of those thought-processes and considerations behind that almost at the same time mobilising a construction force.

“The only way that was going to happen was through a lot of hard work from the NHS clinicians and rapid reaction from the construction industry. I have been absolutely blown away how they have all responded to that.

“I can hand on heart say it’s probably been the most satisfying work I have been able to do in my army career so far.”