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22
Jul 2020
Call for clarity as Nightingale hospital's future still unknown
Just nine days remain until the end of the contract for the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate - and there is still no confirmation of its future.
Although the Prime Minister announced on Friday that £3bn of funding was being given to the NHS to fund Nightingale hospitals through the winter if needed, the future of the Harrogate facility has not been confirmed.
Both Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the centre and the NHS have said no decision has been made on whether the contract for the venue will be extended after the end of July.
The venue has been home to the field hospital since late March, when it was set up in just three weeks by NHS staff and the armed forces. The initial contract ran until the end of June, before being extended to the end of July.
Now, with conferences and events across the country able to resume from October 1, businesses are calling for clarity on HCC's future so they can plan for their recovery from lockdown.
Andrew Manby, a director of family events firm Joe Manby Ltd, which was founded 46 years ago, said the future of the town's economy is in the balance. He asked the NHS to announce a decision soon:
This week, the NEC in Birmingham confirmed it would be reopening in full as its Nightingale hospital was decommissioned, leaving a small non-Covid stand-by facility in place until March. With 20 halls, however, only a fraction of its space was taken up by the Nightingale, whereas almost all of HCC has been occupied.
Meanwhile, Manchester's Nightingale hospital has been placed on stand-by ready for future cases, after treating Covid patients earlier this year. If Harrogate's Nightingale were to close, Manchester would be the closest alternative for patients from across Yorkshire and the Humber, along with Washington, Tyne and Wear.
Read more:
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- Hospital parking to remain free for NHS workers
A spokesperson for the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber said:
For Harrogate, the question is not just whether the Nightingale will remain in place, but what happens to the local economy if it does.
HCC says it brings £35m into the area through trade and public events during a normal year. Hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes all benefit from HCC visitors and have previously raised concerns about how they will survive without that trade over the coming months.
Even if the Nightingale hospital is removed, Mr Manby said organisers will be making difficult decisions about whether their events can go ahead safely - and if they are viable with fewer visitors.
Working across the UK, he said his fears were for the local, independent hospitality businesses that make Harrogate unique, and for the resulting impact on the town's future prospects.
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