New Exeter hospital is turning to military
THE military have been called upon to provide vital assistance at Exeter’s NHS Nightingale Hospital.
Military vehicles were reported being on site at the £23 million hospital built on the former Homebase site in Moor Lane, Sowton, on Tuesday.
The military personnel are a mix of combat medical technicians and soldiers performing general duties.
Their roles will include facilitating with ward activities, family liaison between clinical teams and families of patients, estates and porter duties.
Latest figures from NHS England revealed that there were 27 beds occupied by Covid-19 patients at the hospital on January 7. The number has been fluctuating between 26 and 29 this month so far.
The site was transformed into a 116bed hospital within six weeks. Initially, it was built to treat Covid-19 patients, but due to low numbers of coronavirus in the region it is instead being utilised for diagnostic testing, in particular cancer, as well as reducing hospital backlogs in the area, and for training overseas nurses.
It opened on July 6 last year. It is operational seven days a week and is now being used for its intended purpose.
A spokesperson for the NHS said: “The NHS is grateful to the many military personnel working in hospitals in the South West, alongside doctors, nurses and others who have returned to the NHS front line and to the tens of thousands of St John volunteers working across the country.
“The NHS has 50,000 more staff now working in the health service than a year ago, all working round the clock to respond to unprecedented pressure on the NHS.”
It has not been confirmed how many military personnel are on site or how long they are expected to remain for.
The hospital is being run by the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (RD&E). All patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19 are initially sent to the RD&E.
Depending on their clinical need, such as having more complex issues, they may then be transferred to Exeter’s NHS Nightingale Hospital.
Last week, the RD&E revealed it is currently in the midst of its biggest surge of coronavirus patients since the pandemic began, with numbers expected to keep rising over the next few weeks.
On Tuesday, it was reported that two areas in Exeter have experienced a big jump in Covid-19 cases.
Government data published on Tuesday showed that Mincinglake and Beacon Heath, and Pennsylvania and University, both recorded an increase in the number of coronavirus cases – with 15 and ten further cases respectively. This was a significant rise compared to Devon’s other clusters – areas where there are three or more cases.
The figures were recorded for the seven days up to January 14. They mean that Mincinglake and Beacon Heath had 32 cases during that week, while Pennsylvania and University had 25 cases.
The largest outbreak in Devon was no longer in Exmouth Littleham, but in the Chelston, Cockington and Livermead area in Torbay (with 44 cases).