Nightingale Hospital Bristol expected to open by the end of April

Nightingale Hospital Bristol is due to accept its first patients by the end of April.

Caring for up to 1,000 people affected by coronavirus, the beds come on top of the additional capacity created across a regional network of NHS hospitals over the last few weeks.

The top team of senior clinicians, specialists and managers due to lead the new hospital at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus share more than 180 years’ experience working in the NHS.

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) will oversee the new hospital, with its senior team made up of people seconded from their own organisations for an initial three-month period, or volunteering their skills and experiences for the project.

NBT chief executive officer, Andrea Young, will be in overall charge of the hospital’s services, with Marie-Noelle Orzel seconded from Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership to lead the management team, which is being assembled from a number of NHS bodies in the south west.

Elizabeth O’Mahoney, NHS regional director for the South West, said: “This is the single biggest challenge facing our country for generations. We can learn from what is happening across the country and we want the NHS in the South West to be as well prepared as possible.

“The Nightingale Bristol will support our hospitals to care for critically ill patients as and when needed. We would prefer never to even admit a patient, but it will be in place if needed.”

Nightingale Hospital Bristol is being built at UWE Bristols Frenchay campus for a nominal rent of £1 – photo: NHS

Young added: “On behalf of the NHS I want to thank the public for their extraordinary support in maintaining self- isolation if symptomatic or vulnerable and through social distancing. Those actions are definitely helping us manage this pandemic and we need everyone to sustain them.”

The full leadership team is:

• Marie-Noelle Orzel, Hospital Chief Officer
• Paula Clarke, Deputy Chief Officer/COO (Director of Strategy and Transformation at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust)
• Tim Whittlestone, Medical Director (Deputy Medical Director at North Bristol NHS Trust)
• Hayley Peters, Nursing Director (Chief Nurse at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust)
• Brian Johnson, Director of Estates and Facilities (Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation Trust)
• Catherine Phillips, Finance Director (Director of Finance at North Bristol NHS Trust)
• Neil Darvill, IM& T Director (Chief Information Officer at North Bristol NHS Trust)
• Jane Harris, Communications Director (Head of Communications and Engagement at Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group)
• Steve Aumayer, HR Director (EKIM Consulting Limited, former UHB FT)
• Xavier Bell, Director of Governance (Director of Corporate Governance and Trust Secretary at North Bristol NHS Trust)
• Adrian Coombs, Programme Director (Major Events Boss Limited).

Main photo: NHS

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