A film thanking those behind the creation of the new Nightingale hospital has been released by Harrogate Convention Centre.
The building has been transformed in less than three weeks by teams from the Army, the NHS, private businesses and the centre itself.
The official opening is expected to take place next week, though it is yet to be confirmed whether and when the first patients will arrive.
Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, said: “Thanks go to all my team on site, our contractors, and all who we’ve worked so closely with, including the team at NHS Leeds Teaching Hospital, the Army, and Harrogate Borough Council staff.
“It is no small thing to transform an exhibition and events venue into a fully operational hospital. What’s more, to come into work and work all hours – when the instinct and advice is to stay safe and stay home – is to be commended.”
Reputation for performance
The film emphasises the strong arts, performance and events reputation of Harrogate over the years. Created by Harrogate-based Cause UK, it features famous faces with links to Harrogate expressing their gratitude to those who have helped to build the temporary NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber.
Among them are presenter Harry Gration, adventurer Bear Grylls, and singer Alfie Boe, who promises to return to perform in Harrogate as soon as possible. Actor Kevin Guthrie also sent his best wishes to the people of Harrogate as they do their bit to support those behind the project and preparing to care for patients.
Its release follows a host of celebrities showing their support for the new hospital in a film created by actor Neil Grainger and Harrogate hotelier Simon Cotton earlier this week.
The centre has been lit blue on Thursdays at 8pm as part of the AEV UK initiative, which has seen over 60 theatres, cathedrals and national landmarks #lightitblue coinciding with the public #clapforourcarers. It has also seen emergency services gather to applaud the staff for their work, supported by neighbours from their doorsteps.
Paula added: “The space that’s been utilised is of course our convention centre and its exhibition space, so we want to thank all our customers from the conference, exhibition and events industry who have been so very supportive while their business is stalled.
Harrogate Nightingale to turn blue in special clap for the NHS“Harrogate Convention Centre staff will continue to support the NHS team and conduct their work in the non-clinical areas of the hospital.”
Blue lights will be switched on tonight at 8pm at the Harrogate Nightingale Hospital as part of a special Clap for Carers to mark its construction.
Harrogate Convention Centre and the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber want to encourage residents nearby to ‘Clap for Carers’ or to bang pots, cheer and generally make a noise. Emergency services, construction workers and NHS teams will also be invited to join the applause at the centre itself.
The lighting is part of a national movement to light theatres, bridges and cathedrals, castles, sports stadiums, and national landmarks for the #lightitblue campaign.
Around 20 blue lights have been lent to the HCC by AV Matrix from Wetherby and Yorkshire Lighting and Electrical Services which is based in Harrogate installed them around the front of the building. Glen Molloy, the owner of Yorkshire Lighting and Electrical Services, said:
“Normally it would take about 2 weeks to get it organised but on this occasion we turned it around in a matter or hours.
Lights For Fun also based in Harrogate have donated blue fairy lights for the 12 trees that line the Kings Road beside the centre. Jo Naughton Co-Founder of Lights for Fun told The Stray Ferret:
“The whole centre will be illuminated blue. The idea is that we are all behind the NHS and that Harrogate is in full support of having a Nightingale hospital here in our town. We just wanted to show appreciation for what the NHS does for us and it feels good to help.”
Paula Lorimer, the HCC’s Director said:
“All who have worked on the project, including Convention Centre staff from caterers to electricians, have put their heart, soul, sweat and tears into the transformation, working around the clock to support the NHS. I am incredibly proud of my team, and I hope all the town will want to show their thanks tonight.”
NOTE: Residents in or near Kings Road are asked to please not leave gardens, balconies, doorsteps etc. or congregate in any way outside of the venue. Residents across Harrogate are also asked to not congregate in any way at the venue, and to stay in their homes and comply with government guidelines on social isolating.
Two further deaths confirmed in Harrogate district as work continues to build Nightingale hospital
Two more people have died at Harrogate District Hospital after contracting coronavirus, bringing the total to eight.
The two patients both died on Friday, April 3. No further details have been released, but NHS England said they were among the 637 deaths confirmed today around the UK – including a five-year-old child.
The number of confirmed cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 218 in figures released today, with more than 33,000 across the country. The total number of fatalities in the UK now stands at 3,939.
Meanwhile, work has continued today at Harrogate Convention Centre, which is being turned into a 500-bed Nightingale hospital.

Activity continues at Harrogate Convention Centre as it is transformed into a Nightingale hospital

Construction work continues today around the Royal Hall at Harrogate Convention Centre

An amubulance outside Harrogate Convention Centre today

Construction work continued today at Harrogate Convention Centre
Hive of activity at Harrogate Nightingale Hospital
The construction site of Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital has been a hive of activity this week.
When it opens, the temporary hospital will have up to 500 beds available to care for coronavirus patients.
The convention centre’s contract caterers have returned and volunteered to work for nothing to feed the 400 strong team of contractors building the hospital this week.
So far, six patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have died at Harrogate District Hospital with 163 confirmed cases in North Yorkshire.
Nightingale hospital to offer 500 beds at Harrogate Convention CentreHarrogate’s Nightingale hospital will have up to 500 beds available to care for coronavirus patients, it has been announced.
NHS England has now confirmed the plans for the hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre for the first time, after increasing activity on the site this week.
It was announced alongside a new Nightingale hospital in Bristol, which will accommodate up to 1,500 patients at a time. Other Nightingale hospitals in Manchester and Birmingham are already being created and one at London’s Excel centre will open for patients from today.
Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said it was “nothing short of extraordinary” that the new hospital in London had been set up in less than a fortnight, with support from the Ministry of Defence.
“The NHS, working with the military, has done in a matter of days what usually takes years,” he said. “Now we are gearing up to repeat that feat at another four sites across the country to add to the surge capacity in current NHS hospitals.
Army tour Harrogate Nightingale Hospital on third construction day“We’re giving the go ahead to these additional sites, hoping they may not be needed but preparing in case they are. But that will partly depend on continuing public support for measures to reduce growth in the infection rate by staying at home to save lives.”
Army and NHS staff toured the site of Harrogate’s new Nightingale Hospital on day three of construction.
When it is up and running, which could be possible over the next week, it will help the NHS deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Three temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals have already been announced – in London, Manchester and Birmingham – with more understood to be in the planning stages.
Although the NHS has not yet revealed full details about the project, an announcement is expected imminently.
It comes as the number of confirmed cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 149, with six deaths at Harrogate District Hospital.

2nd April 2020
Construction at Harrogate Conference Centre

2nd April 2020
Construction at Harrogate Conference Centre

2nd April 2020
Convention Centre Harrogate, new signage

2nd April 2020
Convention Centre Harrogate, construction work outside the Royal Hall

2nd April 2020
Harrogate Convention Centre

2nd April 2020
Harrogate Convention Centre

2nd April 2020
Harrogate Convention Centre

2nd April 2020
Harrogate Convention Centre

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MOD arrives at Harrogate Convention Centre

2nd April 2020
Fleet of Emergency vehicles arrives at Harrogate Convention Centre

2nd April 2020
Emergency staff arriving at Harrogate Convention Centre
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 149, with six deaths at Harrogate hospital.
It goes up at a time when the signage also goes up at the new ‘Nightingale Hospital.’
Construction workers, NHS and army staff have been working flat out to convert part of the Harrogate Convention Centre.
On day three of the build, workers installed the hospital signage for the staff and ambulance entrances.

Lots of work is going on outside the Harrogate Convention Centre.
When it is up and running, which could be possible over the next week, it will help the NHS deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Three temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals have already been announced – in London, Manchester and Birmingham – with more understood to be in the planning stages.
Although the NHS has not yet revealed full details about the project, an announcement is expected imminently.
It comes as the number of confirmed cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 149, with six deaths at Harrogate District Hospital.
Government tells Harrogate councillor it is ‘not responsible’ for coronavirus testingA draft petition asking for widespread testing of the public for coronavirus has been rejected by the government, which claims decisions over medical testing are not in its remit.
A proposal by the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate, Coun Pat Marsh, was submitted to the government’s petitions site on 17th March calling for more testing of the population. Six days later, it was rejected on the grounds that medical testing was not in the government’s remit. The response said:
“We can’t accept your petition because the UK Government and Parliament aren’t responsible for the issue you raise. The conduct of tests is a clinical decision for the NHS, not the UK Government or Parliament.”
Coun Pat Marsh said: “I was absolutely outraged when I received the response. I understand who has to physically do the tests, but the government must have some responsibility for purchasing tests and having them distributed to the right places.”
She believes testing of frontline workers – including NHS staff, carers, supermarket employees and other key workers – at an earlier stage could have made a significant difference to the spread of the virus, as well as preventing any needless 14-day isolation periods which kept vital staff away from work.

Security guards, the Army and others have been seen at Harrogate Convention Centre this week as it is converted into a ‘Nightingale’ hospital
Coun Marsh has accused the government of dereliction of duty in its failure to roll out widespread testing at an early stage, and its claim that it has no responsibility for deciding who is tested. She has also criticised the way the news about the ‘Nightingale’ hospital came out, with no official confirmation despite intense activity at Harrogate Convention Centre which, she said, could have caused alarm.
“I don’t feel comfortable with the government’s approach,” she said. “Of course, you might think I’d say that, but it doesn’t matter what colour the government is. I want us to be safe and for them to do everything within their power to make sure we’re kept safe and well.”
The Stray Ferret has contacted Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, about the government’s position on testing but has not yet received a response.
Army starts building coronavirus hospital at Harrogate Convention CentreThe army has started work to convert part of the Harrogate Convention Centre into a ‘Nightingale’ hospital.
NHS and army staff are both on-site today as the basic building blocks were being delivered to create what the NHS refer to as a “surge” hospital move into place.
When it is up and running, which could be possible over the next week, it will help the NHS deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the NHS has not yet revealed full details about the project, an announcement is expected imminently.
Three temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals have already been announced – in London, Manchester and Birmingham – with more understood to be in the planning stages.
So far, three patients with coronavirus have died at Harrogate District Hospital, while the number of confirmed cases in North Yorkshire is now at 108.
The Ministry of Defence is in the process of converting Harrogate Convention Centre into a ‘Nightingale’ hospital to fight the coronavirus crisis.
A source told The Stray Ferret that one hall is being turned into a ‘field hospital’ to help the NHS deal with the expected high pressure created by the growing number of cases.
Although full details have yet to be confirmed, an announcement is expected imminently by the government as part of its continuing escalation of measures against the coronavirus outbreak. Three temporary ‘Nightingale’ hospitals have already been announced – in London, Manchester and Birmingham – with more understood to be in the planning stages.
It is understood that the hospital at the convention centre could be up and running within a week.