NHS Louisa Jordan hospital at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow is set to deliver planned healthcare services delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hospital was opened in April this year to cater to Covid-19 patients. It has an initial capacity for 300 patients, which can be expanded to more than 1,000 beds on demand.
To support NHS Scotland during the pandemic, the hospital will now start accepting certain orthopaedic outpatients this month.
If clinically successful, the hospital will be used to deliver a variety of non-Covid planned healthcare services that have been delayed.
In addition, the hospital will carry out staff training, teaching and examinations because of the clinical facilities, as well as the space available to maintain physical distancing.
Scotland Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “As we begin to resume some paused NHS services safely, carefully and in a series of stages, this national hospital will play an important role in helping our NHS recover by providing planned healthcare for non-Covid outpatients.”
The Scotland Government added that the hospital will remain ready to cater to Covid-19 patients at a few days’ notice, based on requirement.
Chief Nursing Officer Fiona McQueen said: “The NHS Louisa Jordan has not been required to treat Covid-19 patients as we have been able to retain capacity in NHS Scotland thanks to our continued collective effort to tackle this pandemic.
“Should it be required, all training and planned non-Covid healthcare will be stopped and the hospital will be ready to accept Covid-19 patients at a few days’ notice.”
The estimated set up costs for the NHS hospital is about £38m, while operational and decommissioning costs are yet to be determined.
