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Health bosses hope that the Nightingale Hospital near Sunderland will never need to be used – but if it is, more than 2,000 NHS staff may be called upon to support patients.

The Nightingale Hospital North East, which is currently being built at Sunderland’s Innovation Centre near to the Nissan plant, has the potential to treat up to 460 Covid-19 patients.

While no-one may ever be treated at the site, which is being transformed into a medical facility in a matter of weeks, equipment is being installed to ensure the NHS can care for additional patients if the region’s hospitals begin to near capacity.

It is estimated that around 2,500 members of staff including doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers, domestic and cleaning staff will be working at the hospital if all 460 beds are filled.

Gordon Elder at he Nightingale Hospital Northeast

But what could it be like for staff if they are required to work at the site?

Where will staff be brought from to work at the hospital?

Around 2,000 nursing staff plus allied healthcare professionals will be called upon if needed.

Gordon Elder, the nursing lead for the Nightingale Hospital North East, said: “The directors of nursing from around the region have already had indicative numbers for nursing staff, we’ve had some people who want to volunteer who are retired nurses.

The Nightingale Hospital will have 20 wards.

“We can get them back onto the Emergency Nursing and Midwifery Register which is fantastic.

“Get them in, get them trained, get them back up to where they need to be for the level of care and the equipment they will be using.

“We’re also looking at volunteers as well.

“Staff from around the region and all the other hospitals will also be coming in as we close normal capacity – our ‘business as usual’.

The Nightingale Hospital will have 460 beds

“So if we’re doing less operations there will be more staff freed up and those staff will come to us, be trained to be ready to look after our patients here.”

Will all staff be given personal protective equipment (known as PPE)?

Gordon Elder said in interview: “Everyone in the hospital will, whether that be a nurse, a doctor, domestic staff, a pharmacy technician, it doesn’t matter what they do, they will be in full PPE.

“That includes a gown, face mask, visor and gloves - so they will have everything.”

On shift at the Nightingale Hospital - what it will be like for the 2,000 NHS staff who could be asked to work