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From guardian ticker:

NHS to get thousands more beds, ventilators and extra healthcare staff
The NHS has struck a deal with private hospitals to provide thousands more beds, ventilators and extra healthcare staff from next week to aid in the fight against coronavirus.

The extra resources, which include nearly 20,000 staff, will also help the NHS deliver other urgent operations and cancer treatments.

The deal with independent hospitals is thought to be the first of its kind and will include the provision of 8,000 hospital beds across England, nearly 1,200 more ventilators, more than 10,000 nurses, over 700 doctors and over 8,000 other clinical staff.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said:

This is great news for the hospitals and staff doing everything they can to combat coronavirus.

Under the agreement, the independent sector will reallocate almost its entire national hospital capacity to the NHS and will be reimbursed at cost.

Sir Simon Stevens, the NHS’s chief executive, hailed the deal with the private sector, saying:

We’re dealing with an unprecedented global health threat and are taking immediate and exceptional action to gear up.

The NHS is doing everything in its power to expand treatment capacity and is working with partners right across the country to do so.

David Hare, the chief executive of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network, said:

We have worked hand-in-hand with the NHS for decades and will do whatever it takes to support the NHS in responding to this pandemic.

This significant additional capacity across the country will be a major boost to the NHS’s efforts to treat those patients that need hospital care over the coming period and the independent sector stands ready to maintain that support for as long as needed.