‘Yorkshire centre to be turned into field hospital’

A CONFERENCE CENTRE in Yorkshire is to be turned into an emergency field hospital to help in the fight against coronavirus,

The Yorkshire Post understands. The Harrogate Convention Centre will become a dedicated site following the launch of the ExCel conference centre in east London.

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham and the Manchester Central Complex will also help deal with the rising number of coronavirus cases.

The Yorkshire Post understands that the NHS is looking to open beds at the Harrogate centre this weekend.

Ahead of a formal announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones said: “Should this be announced, I am very pleased that Harrogate is playing its role in keeping our country safe and well. We are facing a national emergency and Harrogate is playing a key role in helping our nation.

“Our hospital is holding up very well, there is no question of that. They are a quality organisation, however, we are looking at a few regional centres of these Nightingale hospitals to provide not just local but more regional capacity, and the fact that people have come to Harrogate, seen the facilities here, shows we have very good facilities.

“I think our local health teams will think that this is an addition, a boost and recognition of our area’s capability and facilities, and it will help take some pressure off them.”

“This a national emergency, everyone is having to take a pace forward, change the way they’re behaving, change the way they’re working, and this emergency is placing great pressures on all the teams in our health and care systems.

The fact that Harrogate is at the heart of helping people right across our area is a very good thing.”