ONE of the bosses at Musgrove Park Hospital is taking up a leading role in a pop-up hospital being built to treat coronavirus patients.

Hayley Peters has been appointed nursing director for the Nightingale Hospital, which is being created at the University of the West of England Frenchay campus in Bristol.

She has been seconded from her role as chief nurse based at Musgrove.

Ms Peters took to social media to express her pride in being selected to the top team of senior clinicians, specialists and managers leading the fight against COVID-19 in the South West.

She said: "I'm honoured to join the Bristol Nightingale Hospital team as chief nurse.

"Immensely grateful to Somerset Foundation Trust for releasing me."

The specialist hospital is due to accept its first patients before the end of this month.

Elizabeth O’Mahoney, NHS regional director for the South West, said: “This is the single biggest challenge facing our country for generations.

"We can learn from what is happening across the country and we want the NHS in the South West to be as well prepared as possible.

“The Nightingale Bristol will support our hospitals to care for critically ill patients as and when needed.

"We would prefer never to even admit a patient, but it will be in place if needed.

"We would ask that everyone in the South West follows the national recommendations to stay at home, observe social distancing, protect your local NHS and each of you will help save lives.”

Peter Lewis, chief executive of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Nightingale Bristol is one of several national facilities that will be supporting the NHS to care for the patients who need our help.

"We are proud to support Hayley to take up this temporary secondment and we are committed to work with her as chief nurse of Nightingale Bristol.”