16000 new staff required for new Excel Hospital

I've worked in a pandemic in 1957 and the staff were falling like ninepins. We had cleaning staff helping out.

From The Guardian on line just now:

Once operational, Nightingale will be staffed by NHS specialists working around the clock with the support of hundreds of volunteers from the St John Ambulance Service – and, after they have been trained, cabin crew from Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic, who are otherwise out of work.

Richard Lee, the chief operating officer at St John Ambulance, said the numbers of his charity’s volunteers at the site would eventually reach 500 in around three weeks, split into two 12-hour shifts. “Our people have needed little encouragement to step up,” Lee said.

My gs has been asked to work for the MOD, but can't tell where or what, just that he will be leaving home and returning when its all over.

Same here, Barmeyoldbat, our DS is a scientist and all top secret. It has to be like this otherwise all of us speculators, complainers, do gooders, pontificators etc. would bring the country to a standstill or cause untold panic. I agee Urm the powers that be are trying to keep a lid on many things for the right reasons.

I think people would rather they were honest and not try to spin/ avoid uncomfortable questions/ lie. People are very trusting if they think we are being kept in the dark for our own good, rather than to protect the government’s back.

My question was asking you to clarify your criticism if the newly built hospital Ellenvannin. I saw your comment as inflammatory, not my question but hey ho.
I've no problem with questioning or challenging the misinformation Mr Gove seems happy to spread on a daily basis. I'm happy to praise the government for getting this resource up so quickly. The problem with nurses links to leaving the EU and removal of the bursary - of course, I hoe that Mr Gove's newly found admiration of the NHS, nurses and public servants generally is genuine!

I think the NHS staff would appreciate being told the truth as well. Promising them jam tomorrow really isn't right.

Not as inflammatory as your reply to my comment Iam64 !

There are actually only 450 beds in the new unit. Capacity for 4000 but this level will probably never be reached. The beds are not ICU so require fewer staff. The beds will most likely be used as a step down facility for people who are recovering to free up hospital beds. If things get very bad ,they will be used as a last resort to keep people comfortable who are beyond treatment; but this is most unlikely. So we are probably looking at 500 trained staff maximum with similar number of HCA staff. Many will come from the armed forces and from returnees. The problem will be the lack of toilet and washing facilities which will place a great amount of work on the HCA staff.

Could you expand on the lack of toilet and washing facilities, please patcaf
As a conference centre I would have expected it to have more than adequate toilet facilities?
And why the disparity in the numbers?

That's a good question MawB. I've been to education shows, dog shows, cookery, demonstrations, wedding fayres etc. at the Excel and there are toilets all over the place on all levels. Lots of disabled ones too. I assume the patients in the beds won't be walking up and down much to use the toilets so it's really only nursing staff and doctors. So where is the problem with a lack of toilets?