Nightingale Wing lease extension under negotiation

Friday 24 July 2020

The government is negotiating an extension to the lease of the £14.4m Nightingale Wing, despite the facility being yet to welcome a single patient, Express has learned.

The Millbrook-based wing – a structure rented from Dutch company Neptunus – was opened in May to provide additional bed capacity in case the hospital became overwhelmed with cases of covid-19.

At the time of its opening, the government said it expected the field hospital to stand for around 16 weeks, serving patients requiring oxygen amid a predicted spike in cases. 

However, in the two months since, it has not welcomed any patients due to the low numbers of covid cases in the island. 

Pictured: The Nightingale Wing is based at Millbrook Playing Field, St. Lawrence.

Despite this, some residents living in the area were contacted by government yesterday to tell them that the facility could be in place for even longer than initially expected.

Seen by Express, the email said that the government is currently “negotiating an extension to the lease period of the Nightingale Wing”.

It added that the facility would be issued with a Fire Certificate “as and when” it is brought into use, and warned of ongoing works including a number of sound tests being conducted next week “to reduce the impact of noise”.

“Neighbours are thanked for their continued patience throughout the construction phase,” it read. 

No information was provided about the length of the lease extension being sought. Express has asked the government and is awaiting a reply.

It’s possible, however, that the facility could be in place for a year or more.

Information released under the Freedom of Information Law revealed that the licence to use the Millbrook Playing Field land – owned by the descendants of Florence Boot – is valid for 12 months. That means the government is able to continue using the site until April 2021.

Pictured: The facility could be in place for over a year or more.

Meanwhile, Medical Director Patrick Armstrong previously hinted during an interview with Express that the facility could be in place for even longer, as he predicted the island would be “living with the virus” for 12 to 18 months. 

Any extension to the lease would allow the facility to be used during the winter period when virus cases are expected to surge again.

As an additional mitigation ahead of that, Deputy Medical Officer Dr Ivan Muscat said the Health Department is aiming to get as many children and over-65s vaccinated against flu in autumn to avoid the hospital buckling under a combined spike in regular flu and covid cases.

There are also plans to significantly scale up testing. 

Next month, the hospital is expected to take delivery of a self-contained lab, which will help push capacity to between 1,000 and 1,500 a day. 

At the moment, the government is processing hundreds of tests a day – most of which are new arrivals at the border – in around 24 hours.

Pictured: Deputy Medical Officer Dr Ivan Muscat.

Arrivals awaiting their test results are not legally required to go into quarantine in the intervening period, but a Scrutiny Panel this morning published a report recommending that the government provides facilities for them to self-isolate while they wait.

Hospitality bosses previously suggested that the Nightingale could be used as a testing and waiting facility for new arrivals, but the government ruled out the idea.

The Millbrook site is also, controversially, listed as one of the final five locations for the new hospital.

Constable Deirdre Mezbourian has, however, mounted a challenge against this.