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Coronavirus: Military draws up list of 17 temporary hospital sites

The military has a list of 17 locations for temporary coronavirus hospitals if required, from Glasgow and Sunderland to Plymouth and Exeter, Sky News understands.

Nine of the venues have been authorised and are in the process of coming online, according to a military source.

Coronavirus patients are already being treated at the converted ExCel exhibition centre in London, where the NHS Nightingale has been set up. Some or all of the other eight sites could follow if needed.

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The figure of 17 emerged from a briefing that was given on Wednesday by the Ministry of Defence to a number of defence insiders.

It is an expansion from around 10 possible locations that were being considered just two weeks ago - an indication of the planning that is going on to prepare for a further spike in demand for hospital beds nationwide as the pandemic spreads.

Dubbed Project Nightingale, the armed forces have been involved in the planning and design of the nine approved locations in support of the Department of Health and Social Care, a second source said.

They are helping to build five of the venues and will likely be deployed to assist with the construction of the others.

The first five include the vast ExCel Centre in east London, which opened last week as the flagship NHS Nightingale hospital.

The military's role in that effort has been well publicised.

However, little has been said in public about the part that military planners, designers, engineers, logisticians and others are playing in helping the government to create thousands more bed spaces across the country.

Other venues where the military is thought to have also helped with the building work are the NEC in Birmingham, the Manchester Central Convention Complex, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Harrogate Convention Centre in Yorkshire.

In addition, four sites where new hospital facilities or annexes to existing structures have been approved are at the Scottish Events Campus in Glasgow, Belfast City Hospital, Bristol University of West England and a rugby stadium in Llanelli, south-west Wales.

The size of each location will vary, with not all set to be a mega hospital complex like the ExCel.

Ministers said that facility would have a capacity of 4,000 beds when it is fully operational.

The anticipated number of beds at Harrogate is around 500, while at Birmingham NEC it could house some 2,500, according to the military source.

That source said one of the other eight areas where possible temporary hospitals might be constructed is at Farnborough Conference Centre in Hampshire.

Well secured and based next to an airport, it would make an ideal location.

The Farnborough Air Show had been due to take place at the venue in July but that has been cancelled because of the pandemic.

Four other possible hospital locations are thought to be Westpoint Exeter, Kent County Showground, a centre in Sunderland and a sports facility at Nottingham University.

The final three locations are earmarked for Plymouth, Cambridge and Cumbria.