Nightingale collaboration 'incredible', says contractor boss
A contractor today spoke of the huge undertaking in transforming Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre into a new Nightingale Hospital.
Dan Harmer, is senior site manager at Interserve Construction, which was one of the key firms involved in organising the operation, which took place in less than a fortnight.
The hospital will take its first patients tomorrow after undergoing trials yesterday and today. It will have 496 beds, although the capacity can expand to 4,000 if necessary.
Mr Harmer said: "When I arrived it was an empty, hollow NEC building and it’s vast. That’s when the scale of the undertaking hit me.
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"When we realised we only had nine days it was eye-opening. I’ve worked in the construction industry for nearly 20 years now and I’ve seen people go above and beyond on some of the most challenging projects.
"But the dedication of this team has been phenomenal and it makes you very proud. They have been working around the clock – it’s been an 18 or 20 hour day for many of them.
"They’ve never worked together before and normally you’d have a teething period, but every three hours on this job feels like a month.
"These are just normal people trying to do good and everyone who’s involved wants to protect the NHS and save lives.
"These buildings have been standing for about 30 years. Normally you’d have months, or possibly even years, to work out the changes you need to make to turn an exhibition space into a medical facility. It’s been extremely hot in here and every couple of hours I’ve been going round the site making sure people are well and that they’re hydrated.
"We’ve got to look after the people who are working on the project but that also requires the support of the families at home.
"It’s a big sacrifice for them too. We’ve finished this project while observing social distancing. It’s tricky and it has its complexities but I’ve got a big voice and haven’t got a problem standing here reminding people – politely and professionally – how important the guidelines are."
The operation has involved several agencies, from the Army to NHS officials and an array of private contractors.
Mr Harmer said: "We’ve managed to get the process working and now we have completed the first stage.
"Unless you’re here it's hard to understand the atmosphere and the camaraderie. I didn’t know most of these people a week ago and now I feel like I’ve known them for years – and given the range of people we’ve worked with, including Gurkhas, sub-contractors and caterers, the collaboration has been incredible."
