Coronavirus update: Latest news from West Midlands businesses
Interserve Group, the international support services, construction and equipment group, has handed over the new NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham to the NHS to treat COVID-19 patients.
The new hospital at the National Exhibition Centre, built by Birmingham-based Interserve Construction, was opened by the Duke of Cambridge and Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care via a video link.
It will initially provide 800 patient beds equipped with ventilators.
As the principal contractor, Interserve Construction delivered the first phase at the hospital on behalf of the NHS and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. More than 400 employees and contractors and 60 Gurkhas from the British Army worked more than 86,000 construction hours on the project.
Paul Gandy, managing director, Interserve Construction, said: “Interserve Construction and Interserve Engineering Services together with all our contractors can be proud of what has been achieved delivering the new Nightingale Birmingham Hospital on time.
“Drawing upon our considerable experience delivering construction projects for the NHS, we have worked 24 hours a day to build this hospital. Despite the major logistical challenges, it shows what can be achieved when people come together from across the construction sector. I would like to thank all our everyone involved for their phenomenal efforts in delivering this critical project.”
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This year’s Worcester Show has been cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The show, which regularly attracts around 10,000 visitors and is a fixture of the city’s events calendar, was due to be held at Gheluvelt Park on August 16.
The City Council and the Worcester Show Committee will now set their sights on organising the next show for August 2021.
Cllr Marc Bayliss, leader of Worcester City Council, said: “This is not a decision anyone wanted to make and it has certainly not been an easy one. The Worcester Show is one of our city’s most popular events and we would all dearly like to see it go ahead.
“However, at the moment there is no guarantee that mass gatherings will be allowed in August, so we felt it would not be fair to burden the volunteers and businesses that are instrumental in the running of the show.
“I would like to thank everyone who has given their time to work on this year’s show. The focus will now be on making sure we provide the city with a day to celebrate and remember in August next year.”
Gerry Leith, chair of the Worcester Show Committee, said: “It takes a long time to organise the Worcester Show and it is clear that, even if the lockdown is lifted in a few weeks, time is now against us. We also rely on local businesses for their support and there can be no doubt that they will rightly have other priorities when the lockdown ends.
“But I want to re-assure city residents and our committed army of volunteers that we will be back and that the next Worcester Show in August 2021 will be an occasion to celebrate our city’s strong and united community.”
The Worcester Show has run every year since 2006.
