Sodexo is delivering cleaning and portering services at the new Nightingale field hospital in Bristol, which opened yesterday (27 April).
The hospital, based at the University of the West of England, is a part of the national effort to respond to the coronavirus health emergency and will open a small number of beds at first. Over time, capacity could expand to accommodate 300 patients if required.
Sodexo staff are being redeployed at the hospital from their usual places of work.
The field hospital is run by North Bristol NHS Trust and is designed to give the highest level of specialist care for critically ill coronavirus patients in the Severn area critical care network.
Brian Johnson, director of estates at NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol, said: “Together with doctors, nurses, paramedics, the military and many, many others, the work of Sodexo’s cleaning and portering staff means that we are ready to care for patients with compassion, should the need arise.”
Sodexo is a government supplier and part of an industry-wide response to provide a range of services to help combat the virus.