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24
Dec 2020
Harrogate Nightingale remains 'on standby' amid new covid strain
NHS bosses have said once again that Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital remains on standby amid renewed questions about why sites are not being used to treat covid.
The emergence of a new mutant strain of coronavirus has raised questions about why the hospitals, which cost hundreds of millions to set up, are yet to be put to use.
The rapid rise in covid cases has prompted nearby York Hospital to build an additional intensive care unit.
Conservative MP John Redwood is among those calling for answers. He tweeted:
Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrats leader in the House of Lords, has said the Nightingale “simply does not have the staff available to allow it to operate safely” and called for Harrogate Borough Council to resume control of the building.
The 500-bed hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre was built in April and cost £27 million to set up, but has yet to treat a single covid patient.
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The Stray Ferret asked NHS England whether the hospital had plans for the hospital in the wake of the new mutant strain emerging.
A spokesperson said:
Harrogate Borough Council is continuing to bill the NHS over £100,000 a month for gas, electricity and water at the Nightingale.
The council does not charge the NHS rent for the building. However, figures from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust show the venue, which opened in the early 1980s, incurs significant costs for utilities.
The Stray Ferret has requested interviews with the NHS about the Harrogate Nightingale on numerous occasions but so far has not received one.
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