This is how the Nightingale hospital will work when it reopens later this week

Manchester’s Nightingale hospital will reopen later this week – but will be run differently to how it was in the first wave of the coronavirus crisis.

The temporary facility opened at Manchester Central Convention Complex, formerly known as the G-Mex, in April, but has been closed since the summer.

It was set up by NHS England to provide care for hundreds of patients with Covid-19 from across the North West and help hospitals cope with capacity.

But later this week, when it reopens, it will be used for non-Covid patients.

Any hospitals wanting to use beds at the facility must supply their own staff.

The first ward has been commissioned by Manchester Foundation Trust, which will run the facility alongside agency staff sourced by NHS Professionals.

NHS England is expecting the first patients within the next couple of days.

A spokesperson said: “The NHS Nightingale Hospital North West will be able to accept patients later this week to provide care for those who do not have Covid-19, but need further support before they are able to go home, such as therapy and social care assessments.

“This will help to maintain routine NHS care in the region’s hospitals.”

The new model for Manchester’s Nightingale is unique to the North West.

It will be used by hospitals for patients who require ‘additional rehabilitaion’.

This means that unlike the first wave, it will be used by patients who are not ready to return home after spending time in hospital for non-Covid related reasons.

Some patients who were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 but are still recovering could also be sent to the facility, a spokesperson confirmed.

NHS Trusts wanting to use the extra bed capacity will have to give NHS England two weeks’ notice and send their own staff to work at the facility.

Jude Adams, executive chief delivery officer of the Northern Care Alliance, which runs hospitals and community services in Salford, Bury, Rochdale and Oldham, revealed the new Nightingale model at a board meeting on Monday.

She said: “Whilst the capacity is there in terms of beds, the capacity isn’t there in terms of staff. But there’s the option to use the Nightingale should we be able to provide that staffing.”

She also warned the board that staffing levels could be affected by new compulsory testing of frontline NHS staff who do not have symptoms.

The Northern Care Alliance will have to test 11,000 of its staff over two weeks.

The NHS Group is preparing for a worst-case scenario of 5 pc testing positive, based on results from other NHS trusts in the region, which could mean up to 550 members of staff not able to work for some time while they self-isolate.

A spokesperson for the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group said: “In line with Public Health England and Chief Medical Officer advice we are processing asymptomatic COVID-19 testing of frontline staff to strengthen our efforts to prevent and control the spread of infection across our region and our organisation.”