On shift at the Nightingale Hospital - what it will be like for the 2,000 NHS staff who could be asked to work
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The Nightingale Hospital North East, which is currently being built at Sunderland’s Innovation Centre near to the Nissan plant, has the potential to treat up to 460 Covid-19 patients.
While no-one may ever be treated at the site, which is being transformed into a medical facility in a matter of weeks, equipment is being installed to ensure the NHS can care for additional patients if the region’s hospitals begin to near capacity.
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Hide AdIt is estimated that around 2,500 members of staff including doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers, domestic and cleaning staff will be working at the hospital if all 460 beds are filled.
Where will staff be brought from to work at the hospital?
Around 2,000 nursing staff plus allied healthcare professionals will be called upon if needed.
Gordon Elder, the nursing lead for the Nightingale Hospital North East, said: “The directors of nursing from around the region have already had indicative numbers for nursing staff, we’ve had some people who want to volunteer who are retired nurses.
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Hide Ad“We can get them back onto the Emergency Nursing and Midwifery Register which is fantastic.
“We’re also looking at volunteers as well.
“Staff from around the region and all the other hospitals will also be coming in as we close normal capacity – our ‘business as usual’.
“So if we’re doing less operations there will be more staff freed up and those staff will come to us, be trained to be ready to look after our patients here.”
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Hide AdWill all staff be given personal protective equipment (known as PPE)?
Gordon Elder said in interview: “Everyone in the hospital will, whether that be a nurse, a doctor, domestic staff, a pharmacy technician, it doesn’t matter what they do, they will be in full PPE.
“That includes a gown, face mask, visor and gloves - so they will have everything.”
How will staff enter the hospital?
Health bosses say the number one priority is the protection of staff and patients.
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Hide AdThe hospital includes designated ‘donning and doffing’ areas where staff will be supported in putting on and taking off their PPE.
NHS staff will enter a changing area where they will put on their scrubs.
The ‘donning’ procedure, will see staff use five lanes to obtain their PPE - where each staff member will get their gown, mask, visor and gloves.
This will then be checked by staff at the entrance to the main hospital.
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Hide AdAt the end of their shift, there is then a ‘doffing’ procedure - a careful process where staff are then able to take the PPE back off again.
There will also be people on hand to assist them during the process.