You Have To Laugh

[teacake44]

Or cry may be at some of the statements Matt Hancock comes out with. They are now going to close most of the nightingales in April, he says that these hospitals have played a critical role. My question , how can staff less empty hospitals have played a critical role? I'm confused.

[emmie]

two will be open to do vaccinations apparently. or so i heard on news last night. perhaps they weren't needed after all. that by and large the UK hospitals have coped, that's got to be a good thing, isn't it?

[bobbinwales]

some have been used, and at least they were there if needed as an overflow. Fortunatly turned out we didnt need as many and would of struggled to fill them, but if theyd not been built some of us would of been saying whys there no contingency planning for extra beds/wards

[TrevorThePug]

For once Prince Charles was right, it was a costly £532m mistake.

I wonder which pub owner/jewellery dealer/tory friend got the cash?

[emmie]

that would have been the case, had the main hospital not coped, then there would have been no backup at all - staff would have been drafted in, i know some who had signed up for it.

[bobbinwales]

Underplan and someone will criticize. Overplan and someone will criticize. Its hard to get everything spot on when there so much uncertainty. Kier or another Tory health secretery might of done a bit better but lets face it will never know for sure

[emmie]

Thp, what are you on about can you explain.

[davebro]

They could and should have been used, not to do so was an abject failure. Instead the Gov/NHS chose to use general hospitals as Covid distribution centres!

Waste of more £millions.

[teacake44]

emmie, they have not coped, there are 4 million plus people waiting for other treatment other than covid.

[emmie]

i know they are, so you are saying they could have been used whilst the other patients could have used the main hospitals........

[dannyk13]

Pug///For once Prince Charles was right, it was a costly £532m mistake.//
When did Prince Charles say that? I don't suppose that you can supply a link.

[emmie]

i still believe they were necessary.

[dannyk13]

TC, most of the surgeons were employed dealing with Covid.

[TrevorThePug]

"i still believe they were necessary."

They were and still are, so why close them? But getting back to the OP, how have they played a critical role?

[bobbinwales]

Am not sure we had the staff to do more teacake. Maybe the Nightingales were a mistake or to many built but its easy with hindsight and sometimes in a crisis people overact and want to be seen to be doing something. Maybe that what happened here but in the scheme of things it wasnt to expensive, gave some peace of mind and kept some construction workers in work.

[emmie]

from the guardian

Six other pop-up centres were meant to alleviate pressures around England as hospitalisations for Covid-19 cases rose rapidly. But while the Nightingales may have sent a “message of hope”, as Prince Charles said when he opened the first one, the overall scheme was a costly mistake. Manchester’s treated about 100 people with Covid; Exeter’s had 29 patients this month. Bristol and Harrogate have provided an overflow service for other patients and services. But Nightingales in Birmingham and Sunderland treated no one at all. In all, about £532m was spent for remarkably little gain.

[dannyk13]

//ut getting back to the OP, how have they played a critical role?//
Obviously by dealing with the overspill from hospitals that were full of Covid patients.

[emmie]

Prince Charles didn't say that, it was if you read my piece from the Guardian their comments.....

[anneasquith]

Where was the staff coming from if these building were needed ?

[ToraToraTora]

"I'm confused. " - yes you are aren't you! bless!

[teacake44]

I can think of many reasons they could have been used for, and still can. If there is 4 million people waiting for treatment, and we believe what Matt Hancock says about there being no shortage of staff / or there's been a great take up of nurses joining the NHS then that must be the way forward to clearing the 4 million, unless Matt is telling pories again. Noooooooo