This news on the scaling down of the Exeter Nightingale comes soon after news that the Dyson contract to provide 10,000 ventilators is to be cancelled. This in turn follows cancellation of the formula 1 team’s BlueSky ventilator a couple of weeks ago, the specification of which turned out not to be suitable for Covid patients. Not forgetting the millions wasted on testing kits that didn’t work well enough.

The scaling back on the perceived need for intensive beds is good news, bearing in mind the South West has the lowest ratio of such beds to “normal” needs. Looks like the older population took social isolation and distancing seriously and acted on the instructions quickly. 

The Government has been desperately trying to play catch-up, having been caught unprepared for the scale of the pandemic. So it’s not surprising that we should see surplus in some things while experiencing shortages in others. 

In retrospect, the article “The UK needs more ventilators and fast. But the maths doesn’t add up” illustrates the confusion at the time.

Howard Lloyd www.devonlive.com

The NHS Nightingale hospital which was supposed to be built in Exeter to help combat the coronavirus pandemic will no longer be at Westpoint Arena, it has been announced.

It was decided that a site the size of Westpoint was not required due to the lower-than-expected transmission rates of COVID-19 in the South West.

Instead, NHS Nightingale Exeter will be at a ‘former Homebase store’, where construction will begin in the next few days.

The home improvement retailer’s branch in the Sowton area of Exeter closed in September 2018, although it has not yet been confirmed that this is the site in question.

A statement from the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group said: “The NHS’ newest hospital will now be built on the site of a former retail unit on the outskirts of the city.

“Earlier plans had indicated that this hospital would be based at Westpoint.

“However, having carefully considered the value which Westpoint brings to the community north of Exeter, and the disruption it could cause to its everyday operations, we have used the time available to us to consider alternatives.

“We are very grateful to the charity which runs Westpoint for their help, hard work, and kindness in welcoming us over the last ten days as we considered our decision.”

DevonLive revealed at the start of April that Westpoint had been chosen for the new hospital – news which was confirmed by the Government a week later.

The temporary hospital was due to be the smallest of the seven temporary hospitals being set up across the country.

The British Army was helping the NHS and private contractors to prepare the site which was meant to be ready by early May and provide up to 400 extra beds.

“Westpoint have been nothing less than exemplary and were the first to heed the call,” said Dr Michael Marsh, Regional Medical Director for the NHS in the South West.

“They understand why we have made the decision and support us in doing the best we can for patients.”

The new hospital will be a regional facility providing care and treatment for patients from Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.

The NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group said that the ‘lower than expected COVID-19 transmission rates in the SW combined with updated modelling of care needs also shows that a smaller site would be a better use of resources, and enable the NHS in the South West to use the site for a longer period of time if needed’.

Conversion of the former Homebase store will begin over the next few days, with help from the army and contractors BAM Construct Ltd, who also built the NHS Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate.

The NHS Nightingale Exeter brings the total to seven confirmed NHS Nightingale Hospitals in a matter of weeks, with others in Bristol, Birmingham, Harrogate, London, Manchester and Sunderland.