A PICTURE showing the inside of a new Nightingale hospital being built in North Yorkshire has been posted on social media.

On Tuesday last week, The Press reported that The Harrogate Convention Centre was a hive of activity amid reports it was going to join facilities around the UK in providing extra beds to treat coronavirus patients.

Then on Friday NHS England announced that a new 500-bed Nightingale hospital will be built at the Harrogate venue, and in Bristol, to provide hundreds of extra beds if local services need them during the peak of coronavirus in addition to those already in development in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

As work to transform the Convention Centre into a temporary hospital continues, a picture has been posted on Twitter which shows the temporary hospital is "taking shape."

York Press:

NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, confirmed that sites in North Yorkshire and Bristol will have up to 1,500 beds if needed. Each will serve the wider regions in which they are located.

Director of Harrogate Convention Centre, Paula Lorimer, said: “At Harrogate Convention Centre, we are proud to support the NHS and are enormously grateful to, and in awe of, our health and care professionals. They are truly heroic in responding to Covid-19. We, and no doubt the entire town, will do all we can to support their efforts. We are working closely with our partners and colleagues at Harrogate Borough Council, and I thank them for their support and clear direction on ensuring the challenge of transforming our building is met swiftly. I would also like to thank all of the staff at the venue, who without hesitation came back to their posts to ensure the Nightingale Harrogate Hospital will open on time.”

Leader of Harrogate Borough Council, Cllr Richard Cooper, said: “We stand ready to join the national effort to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

“We all have a role to play in a national emergency, and our colleagues in the health, care and emergency services are guaranteed our support at this very difficult time. We will offer whatever resources are required.”

Council chief executive Wallace Sampson said: “I have great confidence in the team at Harrogate convention centre.”