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Coronavirus: Prince Charles to open NHS Nightingale via videolink

A member of the armed forces walks at the NHS Nightingale Hospital on the site of the ExCeL London exhibition centre in London on April 2, 2020, which is operating as a field hospital to help with the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would "massively increase testing" amid a growing wave of criticism on Thursday about his government's failure to provide widespread coronavirus screening. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Charles will open the hospital via videolink. (Getty Images)

Prince Charles will open the new NHS Nightingale via videolink from his home in Birkhall as medics prepare to treat up to 4,000 COVID-19 patients from the field hospital.

The hospital, built inside the ExCel centre in east London, has been constructed in a matter of days by the armed forces and will need 16,000 staff.

Charles, who left self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 this week, will open the hospital officially on Friday, via videolink from Birkhall, his home in Balmoral, Scotland.

In London, a small group representing medical staff, the Ministry of Defence, contractors and volunteers will be at the hospital with Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary and Professor Charles Knight, Chief Executive of NHS Nightingale.

The Chief Nurse, Ruth May, will host the event and Charles will make a few remarks to those who have worked to put the hospital together in such a short space of time.

The death toll on Thursday hit 2,921, with 33,718 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. Hancock pledged on Thursday to implement a five pillar strategy for testing and carry out 100,000 per day by the end of the month.

Read more: Coronavirus: Timelapse shows creation of huge NHS Nightingale Hospital – which 'will need 16,000 staff'

Leaked documents revealed there are concerns communications and lack of clinically trained staff at the field hospital will present some big problems in the opening days.

Bosses are worried about the number of ambulances and trained crew needed to bring cases to the site, according to the Health Service Journal (HSJ).

The documents also warned that non-specialist nurses may be asked to perform “unfamiliar” tasks – such as dealing with complications arising from intubation – normally only done by intensive care nurses.

The field hospital, the first of a few planned across the country, will treat those patients who are lower risk. The elderly and those with another life-threatening or life-limiting condition are not expected to be sent to the Nightingale.

Hundreds of volunteers from the St John Ambulance charity with differing levels of clinical training have volunteered to help out at the facility, with about 100 expected to work every shift.

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Grounded cabin crew from the UK’s biggest airlines have also been invited to volunteer at the Nightingale and similar planned facilities in Birmingham and Manchester. Most flight crew have first aid training and will still be paid their salaries by the airlines.

Wales and Scotland are also building their own field hospitals.

Prince Charles, who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, fell ill over the weekend of 21-22 of March, and was tested by NHS Grampian when he and his wife arrived at Balmoral.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (2nd R) follow Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (C) and Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (R) as they depart Westminster Abbey after attending the annual Commonwealth Service in London on March 9, 2020. - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been the Head of the Commonwealth throughout her reign. Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom. (Photo by Phil Harris / POOL / AFP) (Photo by PHIL HARRIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince Charles had been at the Commonwealth service with other royals before his diagnosis. (Getty Images)

Read more: Coronavirus: Prince Charles praises NHS workers and volunteers in video message after leaving isolation

Charles was found to have COVID-19, but Camilla, his wife, tested negative.

Officials had to defend the decision to test the heir to the throne, and said he met the criteria for a test.

On Wednesday, Charles released a video praising NHS staff as well as volunteers, communities and supermarket workers for keeping the country going. He urged kindness and hope and said “end it will” about the crisis.

His son Prince William has also been supporting the NHS efforts but by making phone calls instead of personal engagements.

William and his wife Kate called colleagues of the first medic to die from coronavirus on Wednesday, as well as staff at a hospital in Scotland.