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08
Mar 2021
Harrogate Nightingale hospital set to be 'stood down'
Harrogate's Nightingale hospital will be "stood down" at the end of the month, according to a leading health publication.
Health Service Journal reported today the seven Nightingale hospitals will either be closed or used for administering vaccines or providing non-covid services from 1 April.
Harrogate, along with Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester, will be among those permanently close, it added.
The Stray Ferret reported a fortnight ago that an announcement about the closure of the Nightingale, at Harrogate Convention Centre, was expected.
Now Health Service Journal, which is read by senior healthcare managers, has said it "understands" a decision has been made.
It says the London and Sunderland Nightingales will continue to be used for covid vaccines.
The Exeter Nightingale will continue to be used for diagnostic work and the four remaining sites, including Harrogate, will close.
Harrogate Nightingale has never treated covid patients although it has been used for scans.
Read more:
- Harrogate Nightingale closure expected to be announced next month
- Call for inquiry into Harrogate's Nightingale hospital
The NHS has been paying utility bills of between £125,000 and £160,000 per month at the convention centre.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Newby, who lives in Ripon, has described the Harrogate Nightingale as a "costly white elephant from the start and should be returned to the council without delay".
Last month, Cllr Jim Clark, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Harlow division on Harrogate Borough Council, called for an inquiry into the use of the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.
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