Coronavirus: Belfast City Hospital to become 230-bed critical care ‘Nightingale’ centre for Covid-19 patients

The development is in anticipation for the surge of Covid-19 patients requiring intensive care in the weeks ahead.

This will be a 230 bed regional facility staffed by a team drawn from across Northern Ireland. Surge plans also include the development of further critical care capacity at Altnagelvin and Ulster Hospital sites as part of phased approach to the surge plan.

Health Minister Robin Swann commented: “It is important to emphasise again that this modelling work is not a prediction or forecast. All modelling necessarily carries a level of uncertainty. It is therefore prudent to plan for a scenario beyond the reasonable worst case. That is what we are doing.

“The best way to ensure our health service can cope remains for everyone to stick firmly to the social distancing measures now in place. That message cannot be repeated too frequently or too forcibly.”

Staff will be briefed by their respective Trust management, ahead of reconfiguration plans being made public

The Minister added: “I fully recognise the challenges these emergency arrangements will present for staff, with new ways of working and in many cases a new workplace location. I am determined that we will do everything possible to support them and their colleagues across the HSC as they take on the many challenges that Covid-19 brings. We owe them all a debt that can never be repaid. I also give a commitment that trade union side will be kept informed as the plan is rolled out.”