UK to deploy field hospital in case London is overwhelmed by coronavirus: Minister

Britain is making preparations in case London is overwhelmed by COVID infections, health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday, saying a so-called “Nightingale” field hospital will be ready to relieve pressure on the health service.

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Asked about a report that National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in London could be overwhelmed in two weeks, Hancock said: “Of course I’m concerned about the pressures on the NHS.”

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“We’re putting in the extra resources to make sure that the NHS gets the support it needs in the parts of the country where it’s under the most significant pressure,” he told broacasters.

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the House of Commons in London, May 20, 2020. (AFP)

“For instance in London, (we’re) making sure that the Nightingale hospital is on standby and there, if needed. And if it is needed, of course, then it will be used.”

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