NHS Nightingale Harrogate closes

[pocketem]

Nightingale Harrogate, which was opened by Captain Tom Moore just last week, has now been closed due to a lack of patients. Staff that had been seconded to work there have been sent back to their usual workplaces and told that they will not be needed for at least a fortnight, and thereafter will be given at least 4 days notice if the hospital is to re-open. Capacity in the major ICUs in the region is still well over demand with around 20-25% of critical care beds empty, following the expansion of beds last month.

[noavailablename]

It would be great if ALL covid19 patients could be treated in Nightingale hospitals, away from regular hospitals. The number of people I know personally who have had terrible problems getting help and advice for their ongoing, serious health conditions is worrying.
I suppose the problem is lack of staff. I wonder if they actually have suitable staff for these Nightingale hospitals.

[SunnyStroll]

Yes, I do wonder why it's not happening already? It would avoid the hospitals being such breeding grounds and non covid front line staff would surely be better protected, plus they could re-start some of the things that have been postponed, which Chris W also said will lead to additional deaths.

[RightOnTheEdge]

One of my relatives works at Jimmy's she's been saying every day since this started that her normally very busy ward has been half empty since this began and they've been twiddling their thumbs. They've been sending staff home early every day because there's nothing to do.
She said they are going to be going back to normal this week because of a lack of Covid patients.

I think it's great that we have been prepared just in case though and haven't got into a situation like Italy's.

[TooTrueToBeGood]

Better to have and not need than need and not have. Besides it's only been closed, not dismantled. They can no doubt reopen it in a day or two if the need arises.

[noavailablename]

A friend had serious complications after major surgery. Nobody at the London teaching hospital where she had the op was picking up the phone. After 2 days of worrying and phoning, she struggled to the local A&E. They did what they could, but even they couldn't get through to anyone at the other hospital.
In the end, they sent an email to the consultant, which was answered 2 days later.
I have read on here that people are having their chemo cancelled.

[CendrillonSings]

Like an emergency defibrillator, a Nightgale hospital is something that’s a really good resource to have but that you’d really rather not have to use. This is what building up NHS capacity means - it’s a bit wasteful, but better to have the capacity and not need it than need the capacity and not have it...

[NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite]

No-one knows what capacity of beds we will need when we enter the next phase. When restrictions start being lifted we may well be glad of this additional capacity.

The Nightingale hospitals are there as an insurance policy. If we don't need them throughout any phase of this pandemic then that would be great. If the next phase means far more people hospitalised then they will be used then.

The subject of the Nightingale hospitals has been done to death anyway.

[AmelieTaylor]

@Noeuf

Seriously? This is just a joke. All this setting up stuff, ruining people's lives and for what?

🙄😢😢🙄😢😢😢😢🙄🙄🙄🙄

Would you rather the hospitals had exceeded capacity & people DIED because there weren't beds available because that could EASILY have happened and there's NOTHING to say it still someone if people don't stick to the lockdown

Seriously - don't be such a fool

@noavailsblename

People are having chemo cancelled because of the VIRUS - it makes them FAR too vulnerable to it. Each case will be weighed up and the least risky route taken.

[slipperywhensparticus]

Its nice that they are not needed but why (if there is room) are they not taking people in when they have breathing difficulties? Why wait till their lips turn blue? Why leave people to die

[AmelieTaylor]

@CendrillonSings

Like an emergency defibrillator, a Nightgale hospital is something that’s a really good resource to have but that you’d really rather not have to use. This is what building up NHS capacity means - it’s a bit wasteful, but better to have the capacity and not need it than need the capacity and not have it...

I'm going to steal your reply & use that. It's far more polite & well written than I can manage in the face of so many idiots posting about thus right now. Thanks 🌷

[Xenia]

I don't really have a problem with our having built these places. However the London one has seen about 18 patients and I believe originally was just going to take the younger ones (more chance of living) and I suspect it could be well used now if it took in everyone from a care home with covid 19 in London.

[Blackbear19]

I did wonder if these nightingales were set up to deal with the second waves? I'm surprised it's closed already, but I guess it's a good thing and that they are prepared if there's another sudden influx of patients

I think youve hit it on the head, esp as they are expected to be there for 18 months. I think they will be used as covid hospitals letting the the NHS return to normal.

[LilacTree1]

It’s the redeployment of all resources into the results of scaremongering that’s the problem.

I understand wanting to set up extra capacity, but this much? And to the point that people with serious illness can’t be seen?

[Sameold2020]

I thought they weren't used as no extra staff had been employed to work in them. Hospitals were having to send in their own depleted number of staff, so found it easier to keep patients within their normal hospitals.

Also I've read that we are not admitting people until their lips turn blue or they can no longer talk. It would be good if these patients were admitted earlier, maybe to the Nightingales, and there was staff there to actually treat them early.

[Fredthedoggie]

It isn't closed, it didn't open.

[SleepingStandingUp]

This is just a joke. All this setting up stuff, ruining people's lives and for what?
Would have have them wait until the last icu bed was taken before they started building?
By "ruining people's lives" I assume you mean people working the site who have had a serious case of Corona virus? Is there any actual data on how much of the workforce have been poorly as a direct result of working on the Nightingales?

[Kazzyhoward]

Why don’t they make it a step down place rather than close it?

Where do the staff come from? The NHS needs to get back to normal, i.e. actually doing things that aren't Covid related. The staff seconded to Nightingales and Covid wards came from other areas of hospitals where routine work had stopped dead. They need to get back and start treating cancers etc again.

[Kazzyhoward]

This is just a joke. All this setting up stuff, ruining people's lives and for what?

It takes time to set up. I think they've done exceptionally well to set up the Nightingales in such a short space of time. You can't build them overnight! The lockdown and cancellation of routine hospital work was to give the NHS breathing space to sort themselves out and prepare for Covid. The first peak is subsiding, but Covid will be here for the rest of the year and who knows when the next peaks will be. Next time, the Nightingales will be ready for virtual immediate opening, so there should be no need for the NHS to shut down everything else.

[Mawbags]

Theyre waiting for the second wave aren't they?

[Humphriescushion]

I have also been wondering why they could not have been used to quarantine those patients who were put back into care homes. I also feel that the hosptials have not taken enough patients or they have not been admitted early enough. I understand they could not be swamped but there seems to be an awful lot of capacity.

[SunflowerSeedsForever]

The opening was just a show. It didn't ever open and the construction had been finished some time before.

Will it open? Who knows- quite happy to keep you updated as I see it every day.

The death rate from Covid 19 at Harrogate Hospital seems quite high- 43 deaths and 51 discharged (last figure I saw).

The main hospital is very very quiet. Staff seem to significantly outnumber patients. Some (all?) critical care (such as cancer) appointments are cancelled.

[CendrillonSings]

AmelieTaylor

Please do!

[LoisLanyard]

Better to be able to look back in a few years time and say we over-reacted in terms of number of hospital beds needed, than to say we didnt act enough?

[SunflowerSeedsForever]

The Harrogate hospital is for the region- so I assume that Leeds is also coping with capacity (although again cancer appointment have been cancelled at St James)

[MinkowskisButterfly]

Also I've read that we are not admitting people until their lips turn blue or they can no longer talk. It would be good if these patients were admitted earlier, maybe to the Nightingales, and there was staff there to actually treat them early.

^^This.