A temporary hospital with an initial 300 beds is to be created in the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow to help care for COVID-19 patients during the pandemic
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the NHS Scotland-run temporary hospital could be open within two weeks and could expand to hold more than 1000 patients if later required.
There are currently approximately 13,000 beds in NHS hospitals across Scotland and health boards are working to ensure we have the capacity of at least 3,000 available for COVID-19 patients. They are also quadrupling Intensive Care Unit capacity to 700.
Jill Young, former chief executive of the Golden Jubilee Hospital at Clydebank, has been appointed as chief executive of the temporary hospital.
Sturgeon said: “Our NHS is on an emergency footing and all health boards have been undertaking extensive work across Scotland to maximise the capacity available to manage expected rise in demand due to COVID-19.
“As a safeguard and to provide extra flexibility, we have been working closely with the military to plan and build this facility which [will] initially be for use by those who have been through hospital treatment and are recovering from their symptoms.
“I hope this facility will not be needed as, alongside the public’s contributed efforts to stay at home and the steps we are already taking to increase the number of NHS beds, we should have the beds we need.”
Stay at home
She added: “I want to repeat my thanks to all of our NHS staff working to protect and treat those of us who need it and to everyone staying at home and doing their bit to face these unprecedented challenges.
“It is essential everyone continues to stay at home, except for key workers, essential shopping, reasonable exercise or caring for the vulnerable, in order to avoid overwhelming our NHS staff and facilities.”
