Mapped: The temporary hospitals created for coronavirus

Seven “Nightingale” hospitals are already in use or planned. However, their care models differ, with Birmingham and Manchester offering step down care for those leaving intensive care units and London currently concentrating on intensive care — but intensive care aimed at lower-risk patients. 

However, there is other surge provision beyond the Nightingale hospitals. In Staffordshire, community hospital beds are being reopened to ensure capacity is available when needed. In Surrey, the Headley Court site — once used for rehabilitation of wounded military personnel — will now provide some beds for recovering coronavirus patients.

In Cumbria, local leisure centres — currently closed as part of the nationwide lockdown — are being used to provide space for additional beds.

The map also includes possible, but not confirmed, sites for additional facilities. Some of these are likely to be step down beds, allowing patients to move out of ICU as they start to improve, creating capacity for more patients to be admitted.

This list is a moving target with sites being considered and rejected, either because they are not suitable or because the demand for beds in the catchment area is now thought to be different. For example, in the South East, a site at Detling, near Maidstone, was under consideration, but later abandoned as it did not meet the needs of the area.

HSJ will regularly update this map with additional information.