SW1 wrote:Could see it being used as a non virus treatment facility in a limited way.
Indeed - often forgotten in all the hoo-ha about CV-19 is the fact that people are still getting sick for other reasons. It all depends on what is best in the circumstances (and I agree with your point about ships being non-ideal). The NHS Nightingale London, for instance, will be used for non-critical CV-19 victims, with critical CV19 and non-CV19 patients being treated in existing hospitals, whereas the one outside Birmingham will be used exclusively for non-CV19 cases (or that was the plan last time I heard it)
SW1 wrote:you would only have such a capability if you removed most of the defence medical personnel from nhs hospitals
I was just quoting the Royal Navy's own statement.
Don't forget, there are plenty of qualified doctors and nurses available in the Caribbean - what they don't necessarily have is experience of handling a pandemic - a few people on the spot, giving guidance and training can make a huge difference.
The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill