Coronavirus: Principality Stadium hospital accepts first patients

Wales' biggest hospital has accepted its first 12 patients.

The temporary 2,000-bed Dragon's Heart Hospital, inside the Principality Stadium, aims to ease the pressure on the NHS amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The field hospital, which was opened by Prince Charles last week, is the second biggest in the UK behind London's Nightingale hospital.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CAVUHB) said more patients would be admitted later this week.

The health board said patients were being transferred from University Hospital of Wales (UHW) and University Hospital Llandough, both in Cardiff.

The opening of beds at the hospital would allow the health board to undertake "more urgent and emergency scheduled care", according to Stuart Walker, executive medical director at CAVUHB.

He said it was "always our intention" to open extra beds to ease pressures elsewhere.

"We may also need to offer some surge capacity to neighbouring regions, plus to offer some capacity to local residents of care and nursing homes to facilitate separation of residents with and without Covid infection," Mr Walker added.

The hospital will be a "step-up and step-down" facility, meaning it will provide care for patients at the end of their treatment for Covid-19, as well as palliative care for patients not expected to survive.

Almost 400 staff have been trained to work at the hospital.

The first patients will move into a 25-bed ward staffed by a ward sister, nurses and healthcare support workers, assistant director of workforce Rachel Gidman said.

"Not only have we looked at the types of care we are providing for patients, but we are also focused on staff welfare and wellbeing," she added.

"Staff have the same facilities here just as in any of our other hospitals despite this building being a sports stadium just a month ago."