Sunderland's Nightingale Hospital remains on standby amid reports that London Covid patients are being transferred to North East

The facility is yet to treat a patient, but is still prepared and ready to take admissions, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed.

Equipped with 460 ventilated beds, NHS Nightingale Hospital North East is based on the International Automotive Manufacturing Park (IAMP) – just a short distance from Nissan's plant.

It opened on May 5, 2020, along with Nightingale Hospitals in Manchester, Bristol, Harrogate and Birmingham.

The NHS Nightingale Hospital North East is intended as an overflow facility in the event that the number of patients with Covid-19 became too high for the region’s hospitals to treat.

As the number of hospital admissions continue to rise during the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been reported by the Guardian that overstretched hospitals in London are transferring Covid patients to intensive care units (ICU) in Newcastle.

The Guardian and the BBC have reported that NHS England has told hospitals in the north of England and the Midlands, among other areas, to open up hundreds of extra ICU beds to take patients from London, the south-east and east.

NHS England has not yet responded to a request for comment from the Echo, however the North East’s Nightingale Hospital said it remains ready when asked about the reported development.

The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: “The NHS Nightingale Hospital North East remains a valuable resource to support the local area and remains on standby, ready to quickly step up based on expert clinical advice, if needed.”

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