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NHS Louisa Jordan ready to receive patients |
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The temporary NHS hospital in Scotland to treat patients with covid-19 will be ready to receive patients from tomorrow.
Health secretary Jeane Freeman announced construction will be completed on the NHS Louisa Jordan at Glasgow’s SEC campus, three weeks after work got underway.
The hospital will have capacity for an initial 300 patients, but a total of 1,036 bed bays have been built.
However Ms Freeman stressed it was hoped the hospital will not be needed.
Speaking at the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing she said: “While we remain confident we will not require it…in the immediate future, it is a vitally important part of our planning and assurance that the NHS in Scotland is prepared.
“The work to deliver the NHS Louisa Jordan at such pace has been a significant effort.”
Ms Freeman said the decision on whether patients need to be admitted to the Louisa Jordan will be reviewed on a regular basis as the data on case numbers continues to come forward.
“As I’ve said before, I hope that this facility will not be needed, but it is valuable to have this extra capacity and I’m grateful to everyone who has helped to deliver the hospital at such speed,” she added.
Jill Young, Chief Executive of the NHS Louisa Jordan, said it was a fully operational hospital, with facilities such as pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, CT scanners and catering.
“We have the initial 300 beds in place with all the necessary trained workforce, the infection control, the supplies and the equipment to open when we are required,” she said.
“From tomorrow we are ready and willing to help our NHS colleagues across the country as part of the Scottish Government’s overall response to the pandemic should the need arise for us to do so."
As of today, 8,187 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, of whom 903 have died.
1,797 people are currently in hospital with confirmed of suspected covid-19, 174 of them in intensive care.
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