London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Mar 14, 2026

Five ways hospitals will change to tackle virus

Hospital beds in hotel rooms and ventilators made at car factories are among coronavirus plans for the NHS.

1. Hotel room or hospital ward?

The health secretary said empty hotels across the country would help ease the pressure on hospitals that are filling up with patients.

"Some people are saying: 'Should you build a hospital?'" Mr Hancock told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

"Actually, we've seen that many hotels are empty so we've got ready-built facilities for looking after people."

Asked about whether military field hospitals might also be used to spread the load, Mr Hancock said: "I'm open to all options."

He said he was more concerned that enough staff members and equipment were available to cope with an influx in patients, rather than worrying about where those patients would go to receive care.

"The critical thing is that [the hotels] need oxygen supply and the ventilation equipment - whether it's the invasive ventilation or just the mask on your face.

"So what matters is not just the space, it's making sure that the equipment and the trained staff are there as well."

Hotel chain Best Western said it was considering turning some of its properties into temporary hospitals to help the NHS.

Chief executive Rob Paterson said Best Western would discuss the idea this week and "would be willing to take unprecedented steps to support the national effort".

The chain reported an increase in cancellations over the last month as a result of the pandemic.


2. NHS or private hospital?


The Labour Party and the GMB union have called on the government to use empty beds in "plush private hospitals" to ease the pressure on the NHS.

Downing Street confirmed on Sunday that the health service would buy up thousands of beds in private hospitals if they were needed to cope with a surge in patient numbers.

The government said "negotiations" with private healthcare providers have already begun.

But the GMB union is calling for these beds to be given to the NHS for free.

"This is a public health emergency, not a business opportunity for shoddy private healthcare chums to profiteer from distress," said GMB's Rehana Azam.


3. Ventilators made at car factories


How will thousands of new ventilators - machines needed to help patients breathe - be made quickly enough to cope with an increase in demand?

Mr Hancock said there were 5,000 ventilators available in the UK at the moment but that many times that number would be needed as the number of people with Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, increased.

Asked if the likes of military engineers and car manufacturers would be asked to meet the demand, the health secretary said: "Yes, we're talking to all those companies."

"We've got high quality engineering in this country. And we want anybody who has the manufacturing capability to turn to the manufacture of ventilators to do that," he added.

The speedy manufacturing might not stop once the UK has enough ventilators either, with Mr Hancock suggesting the equipment could be sent abroad to help other countries in need.

Digger manufacturing company JCB confirmed Prime Minister Boris Johnson had asked if they could help to make ventilators.

Chairman Lord Bamford said the British company - which cut production and working hours in February as coronavirus led to a shortage of components - would do "whatever we can to help during the unprecedented times our country is facing".


4. Operating theatres converted into wards

The cancellation of swathes of non-urgent - or "elective" - surgery will help to free up space, Mr Hancock said.

He said the sorts of operations that could be delayed "in this emergency" situation included hip and knee operations.

Operating theatres where these procedures are normally carried out are equipped with oxygen supplies, meaning they "can be turned into wards" for coronavirus patients.

This measure is "one of the first things that we're going to do", he added.


5. New (and old) staff

All those extra ventilators will throw up another problem - there are not enough trained nurses and doctors to operate them.

To fix this, Mr Hancock said the government wanted to bring recently-retired doctors "back into service".

But, the health secretary said, some of those workers would need to be trained up to deal with the specific needs of Covid-19 - which is a respiratory disease,

"We will be stopping some other activity, and asking doctors who normally do other things to retrain to be able to, for instance, use the ventilators."

He would not say how long it might take to train people up but did say: "We will do it as fast as we can."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Planned Australia Visit Draws Mixed Reaction From Local Communities
Trump Calls on France and UK to Help Safeguard Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route
Boris Johnson Labels Bitcoin a ‘Ponzi Scheme’, Sparking Debate in Crypto World
UK Considers Targeted Aid for Vulnerable Households as Energy Costs Rise
Stellantis Urges Immediate Review of UK Electric Vehicle Sales Targets
Home Office Reverses Course to Allow Some Dual Nationals to Enter UK Using EU Passports
Reform UK Proposes Replacing Top Civil Servants With Officials Aligned to Government Agenda
Netflix Adds Critically Acclaimed ‘Best Film of 2025’ With Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
‘The Sums Don’t Add Up’: UK Farmers Hit by Soaring Costs as Iran War Disrupts Global Supplies
Confidential UK Biobank Health Records Found Online After Researchers Accidentally Expose Data
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Trump Urges Britain and Allies to Deploy Warships to Safeguard Strait of Hormuz
Middle East War Highlights Strategic Importance of Strong UK–Ireland Cooperation
Weak Growth Signals UK Economy Was Faltering Even Before Middle East Energy Shock
Marks & Spencer Tops UK Fashion Retail Rankings as Most Considered Brand
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
United States Launches Trade Investigation Into Allies Over Forced Labour Practices
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Russia Accuses Britain Over Storm Shadow Strike as London Reaffirms Ukraine’s Right to Self-Defence
Royal Navy to Acquire Twenty Uncrewed Surface Vessels for Autonomous Warfare Testing
Russia Summons British and French Envoys After Ukrainian Storm Shadow Strike on Strategic Facility
Starmer Confirms Britain Will Maintain Sanctions on Russia Despite U.S. Policy Shift
UK Moves to Refine AI Definition in Investment Security Reform
UK Economy Stalls in January as Growth Unexpectedly Falls to Zero
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Tesla Secures Approval to Supply Electricity Directly to Homes Across Britain
Prince William Delivers Tribute to Australia’s Naval Alliance Amid Renewed Royal Spotlight on the Country
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Putin’s ‘Hidden Hand’ May Be Assisting Iran in Conflict With Trump, UK Defence Secretary Warns
UK Sets April Deadline for Tech Platforms to Strengthen Online Protections for Children
Elon Musk Moves Into Britain’s Energy Market as Tesla Wins Licence to Supply Power
UK Watchdog Warns Fuel Retailers Against Profiteering Amid Iran War Price Surge
Report Claims Iran Used UK Charity Network to Expand Influence
United States and United Kingdom Establish Joint Standards for Counter-Drone Technology
Iran May Be Laying Naval Mines in Strait of Hormuz, UK Warns Amid Escalating Gulf Tensions
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
British Troops in Iraq Intercept Iranian Drones Targeting Coalition Base
Release of Mandelson Files Raises Tensions as UK Seeks Stable Relations With Donald Trump
UK Documents Reveal Starmer Was Warned About Mandelson’s Epstein Links Before Ambassador Appointment
Nearly Five Hundred UK Mortgage Deals Withdrawn in Two Days as Market Volatility Forces Lenders to Reprice
Three Cargo Ships Hit Near Iran as Attacks Spread to Strategic Strait of Hormuz
Why British Police Repeatedly Declined to Investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s UK Links
UK Parliament Ends Hereditary Seats in House of Lords, Closing Chapter on Centuries of Aristocratic Lawmaking
EU and UK Urge Israel to Act Against Rising West Bank Settler Violence Amid Regional Tensions
US Senator John Kennedy Says Keir Starmer Should Not Be Trusted for Military Advice Amid Iran War Debate
UK High Court Rejects Attempt to Revive Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Revolut Secures Full UK Banking Licence After Multi-Year Regulatory Wait
Kentucky’s Bench Boost Powers Wildcats Past LSU in SEC Tournament Opener
British Couple Die After Being Pulled From Water at Australian Beach During Family Visit
×