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Totally agree with Anon 15:31. The model elsewhere in the UK is much better - use the nightingales for step-down and the expand critical care at the acute hospitals. London nightingale was always going to be a massive white elephant and is nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt by HMG.

I work at the busiest hospital for COVID cases in the UK (per head of population). Over half our current inpatients are COVID. Yet, we are not only coping, but coping well. We have three empty wards and potential to double our ventilated patient beds before we would have to consider sending patients out to other centres. We have even kept our cancer surgery going at our cold site.

The curve has been flattened, we are coping with the surge, the key now is the long game. The lockdown with ratchet back with younger and fit people allowed to work again, but it is going to be 12 to 18 months until vulnerable/shielded patients will be allowed out. We need a medium term solution to keeping COVID capacity at moderate levels whilst restarting elective services. Everything needs to be balanced.