A Bromley woman has volunteered to join the NHS front line at the newly-built Nightingale Hospital, returning to her former role in nursing.

Alison Boyd, who usually works as a manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, has taken up a role in the family liaison and support team, using the same skills, compassion and knowledge she applies to supporting people living with cancer to now help COVID-19 patients and their families.

The first patients were admitted last week to the health facility in Newham, east London, which was created in just nine days to help cope with the pandemic.

Alison said: “I want to apply the same skills I use daily to support people with cancer like treating people with compassion and warmth to now help patients affected by COVID-19.

“Families and patients will still need the same kind of understanding and care, perhaps even more so since some patients are not allowed to see their family or loved ones.

"So clear and kind communication will be hugely important.”

Alison qualified as a nurse from Kings College University London in 1996, then worked in respiratory and A&E nursing before specialising in oncology.

Speaking about her start at the hospital, which could look after up to 4,000 patients at any one time, Alison said: “As I can’t currently see patients here in the cancer information centre, I wanted to play my part as a nursing professional.

"I don’t know what to expect to be honest, I just want to offer the same skills and compassion that we offer here at Chelwest, in the Macmillan Centre.

"I do know that it will be a unique environment, and that every single person working at the Nightingale will be a skilled professional in their own right.

“I know it will be an exceptional team."

With more than 80 wards containing 42 beds each, the facility will be used to treat Covid-19 patients who have been transferred from other intensive care units across London.

Contractors and around 200 military personnel worked to get it up and running in just over a week.

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens has called its construction “nothing short of extraordinary”.

He added: “Now we are gearing up to repeat that feat at another four sites across the country to add to the surge capacity in current NHS hospitals.”

Other Nightingale hospitals are due to open in Bristol, Harrogate, Birmingham, and Manchester.