7 more nightingale hospitals

Alishka, I think you misunderstand me. If it's called into use, it has to be both.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council initially asked for nurses who had retired in the last 3 year to consider joining the Covid-19 temporary register. From sometime next week, they are inviting anyone who has retired in the last 5 years to join.

GrannyLaine, as I wrote...take your pick...

I read that St Johns Ambulance are a charity and are well nigh broke at the moment....

Does it have to be one or the other Alishka? Most hospitals have mortuaries attached, but they will be overwhelmed with the current high death rates.

First I heard about the B'ham NEC it was being turned into an overflow morgue.
Next bulletin it was going to become a Nightingale ward.
Take your pick!

Thanks Granny for adding to my list - as you say, we are very fortunate.

Greymar it's such a stressful time for all, take care of yourself and stay well.

My Ex nursing colleagues are all upskilling quckly mostly through e learning. Difficult but not impossible. They should have retired years ago but couldnt afford to due to State pension age rising to 66.

Greymar thinking of you, its hard when your mental health is challenged in this way. One of my DDs struggles with anxiety and is finding these times really difficult. I've found this last week on GN quite a negative place to be for all sorts of reasons. I hope you can find your happy place again, even for a short while: remember how much laughter you brought us last weekend

Most of the staff needed will not be ICU nurses and doctors which does require a specialised training. Someone I know well is a sister but in a different area of specialty and is now being trained to work in ICU. They are being 'fast tracked.

Exactly right suziewoozie and also St John's Ambulance service. There is a massive Armed Forces medical reserve to draw on as well as the Territorial Army reserve. We have a great deal to be grateful for in this country.

Re staffing, remember there are the returners plus new doctors, medical students, student nurses plus there is some retraining going on of HCPs who aren’t really being used now in their normal roles eg physios. I also read of an orthopaedic surgeon who was working as a nurse. If you think about it, a mature experienced motivated HCP could quickly become proficient enough in what is a relatively narrow range of CC skills. Not downplaying the range of skills generally needed. I always think of someone I knew who was the GP on the Falklands for years - he did everything including emergency appendectomy and of course childbirth. Its about being good enough I suppose, not perfect.

Thanks Gravey, appreciated.

I know it’s been mentioned before, but I just don’t know how they are going to staff them, especially when all the extra ventilator capacity is taken up. Critical care nurses have always been like gold dust.

In touch with Italian friend daily, for mutual support, she seems still to think we are not being strict enough and was glad to here about Starmer offering to collaborate with govt
When I tell her what’s going on, and she reads a lot about uk too, she says it’s just like them two weeks ago, so that’s why she’s worried.
Good post paddy Anne

Greymar take care of yourself

They may not be needed. They are using large capacity buildings already in existence to relieve pressure on hospitals, who in turn are already converting appropriate spaces such as operating theatres and recovery areas to provide intensive care beds. Inevitably, they will need to be planning extra mortuary space as death rates are so much higher than normal in a short space of time. Whether the new units will be needed or not, or to what extent, depends very much on public compliance with social distancing / isolation. I find this worst case scenario planning reassuring if it prevents some of the dreadful scenes shown in Italy and the United States

Thanks for asking Nams, I am not well mentally.

This site isn't helping me , so I must dial it down and look for help.

Is there to be one in Portsmouth or Southampton? Bristol is a long way from here.

Greymar … Are you feeling distressed? I'm asking because you have already said in other threads that you feel distressed from time to time, and something about your post made me think you may be feeling overwhelmed.
Understandable in these times.

Labaik … A week ago a portion of Dr's and nurses (in London) were sent home to work in isolation, although they were re trained, healthy and OK to work.
This was so there would be a healthy workforce ready to fill in/pick up the slack when others started to fall ill with exhaustion or covid 19.
I'm not sure of the percentage overall, and if this strategy has been followed elsewhere, but I think it has.

I suppose it's better to plan for failure than fail to plan (or something along those lines) MissAdventure
Lets hope we don't need them.

I've no idea, Labaik.

I have seen an ad proclaiming there's never been a better time to join the NHS.

You'll be fine, paddyanne
Scotland has its own devolved healthcare system.

Where are they getting the nurses and doctors from to staff these hospitals?

My neighbour who is a charge nurse says it will be a morgue ,due to the lack of urgency ,the flights still coming in with no checks and the still crowded transport system,She says she thinks the government is still going down herd immunity route despite saying otherwise .She was very angry at Hancocks "we've lost 4 Doctors and SOME NURSES" on Thursday.It appears nurses dont count .