Whiteabbey Nightingale unit treats over 60 people inside first two months

Sixty-three Covid patients have been treated at Whiteabbey Hospital’s Nightingale facility in Newtownabbey since it opened in November, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has stated.
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There were 25 patients being treated in a ward there yesterday (Wednesday).

Seventy-nine beds are available in the facility rising to 84 if required.

However,  the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has indicated that this depends on availability of staff.

Health Minister Robin Swann visiting the new Nightingale Hospital in Whiteabbey. Picture: Michael CooperHealth Minister Robin Swann visiting the new Nightingale Hospital in Whiteabbey. Picture: Michael Cooper
Health Minister Robin Swann visiting the new Nightingale Hospital in Whiteabbey. Picture: Michael Cooper

Twenty-eight beds can be staffed at present. Staff nurse vacancies are still being advertised.

The new Nightingale provision opened at Whiteabbey Hospital as a “step down” facility for recovering Covid patients.

The development was approved in September and it was brought forward given “growing pressures on the system” with the first phase up and running following refurbishment of an existing building on the Whiteabbey site.

Rehabilitation patients were moved to another ward at the hospital.

Neil Martin, interim divisional director of strategic development and business services, told Trust board members at a meeting in October that it would be a regional facility “taking patients from right across Northern Ireland”.

“The Trust is pleased we are able to deliver this for the region. We are confident enough we can do this and do it well,” he said.

Board member Glenn Houston asked about the recruitment of nursing staff.

Karen Hargan, director of human resources, explained  at the time that there are waiting lists regionally and a number of staff on the waiting list were to be utilised for Whiteabbey as well as through internal transfer requests and agencies.

A Trust spokesperson reported that there are 197 Covid patients in Antrim and Causeway Hospitals today.

Another 19 people have died in Northern Ireland after testing positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours.

Another 1,145 have tested positive for the virus in NI in the last 24 hours.

The Trust is expecting a peak surge next week.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

Click here to read: Minister Swann visits Whiteabbey Nightingale facility

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