Your say / Bristol Lib Dems
‘Don’t mothball Nightingale Hospital Bristol’
Whatever mistakes may have been made in earlier stages, it is the present and the future we need to look at and consider.
One of the decisions that was definitely right and well actioned has been the commissioning of the Nightingale Hospital to deal with Covid-19 patients. Having watched the Northern Italian Hospital Service be overwhelmed with people dying because they could not get the best treatment, there was clearly an understanding that that could not be allowed to happen here.
The initial Covid-19 surge has been handled well by our hospitals but at the cost of many other treatments, operations and procedures. Instructions have gone out to resume these other treatments but our hospitals are working under severe handicaps.
is needed now More than ever
Firstly, they have facilities such as operating theatres turned over to ICU beds.
Secondly, they have, as has been acknowledged, a huge number of patients who are frightened to visit hospitals for fear of picking up Covid-19.
Thirdly, already hard-pressed staff are having the extra battle of trying to prevent cross infections as Covid-19 is highly infectious and dangerous.
Meanwhile, a brand new specialist facility stands empty.
Cancer and other specialist doctors are already warning that the non-Covid-19 deaths will outnumber the Covid-19 diagnosed deaths very shortly unless urgent action is taken.
There are warnings that waiting lists will rapidly escalate to years so as well as those extra people who will die we have the sheer misery of those waiting for the likes of hip replacements.
Covid-19 is a new condition that we are learning more about every week and despite the first surge having been coped with, there will be a need for ongoing treatment facilities for a significant time to come.
Covid-19 patients would be well looked after in a specialist hospital and other hospitals without Covid-19 patients will cope much better on all the other priorities.
Co-operation between the regional health bodies in terms of staffing will be necessary and of course the Government will need to be persuaded that it is better to use the new hospital instead of mothballing it.
There are hurdles, but they are nothing compared to the damage being done to our hospitals and the suffering of non-Covid-19 patients.
Gary Hopkins is the leader of Bristol’s Lib Dem councillor group and a councillor for Knowle
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
