Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any of the Nightingale hospitals in England are being used for (1) inpatient, or (2) outpatient, treatment of patients with (a) cancer, or (b) cardiac conditions, whose treatment had been delayed due to COVID-19.

The development of the Nightingale hospitals was a response to an unprecedented challenge as they provided extra capacity to manage surges in demand due to COVID-19.

To provide additional capacity for the National Health Service the Nightingale hospitals have been flexed to respond to changing demand and it was recently announced that Harrogate and Exeter Nightingale hospitals are to be used to increase diagnostic capacity in a COVID-19 free environment. Regions and host trusts will continue to consider future use and the Nightingales will be an important part of ensuring the NHS has the capacity required at this time and in the coming months.