Hub almost ready as cases fall

The Nightingale ‘surge hub’ at the William Harvey could now be ready for patients next week but there are hopes it won’t be needed as case numbers continue to fall across Kent.

The unit is one of eight being built nationwide to provide extra space for patients with Covid-19.

It will only open if an increase in hospital admissions, driven by the Omicron variant, means current capacity no longer meets demand, however, figures show the number of people with the virus in Kent’s hospitals has started to level off.

As well as this, case numbers in the county fell by 26% in a week.

Ashford MP Damian Green hopes this means the new unit won’t be needed at all.

“I had a virtual meeting with those in charge and they said the earliest patients could go in is January 24, certainly not before then,” he said.

“But at the moment it looks like the position is stabilising in terms of Covid numbers so everyone hopes it won’t be needed.

“It’s an insurance policy and like most, you hope you never have to draw on it because it would stretch staffing.

“The money is coming from a national budget, it doesn’t come out of our local healthcare budget. It’s about £3.7 million and it’s coming nationally.”

A change in government rules could be a factor in the declining numbers.

People with no symptoms no longer have to take a PCR test if they return a positive result on a lateral flow, so statisticians have to rely on them self-registering the infection.

If it does open, the ‘surge hub’ will be able to cater for up to 100 people.

Picture: Barry Goodwin The Nightingale ‘surge hub’ pictured on Tuesday morning