More patients enter Dragon’s Heart hospital

TWELVE patients have now been admitted to a temporary field hospital at the Principality Stadium – with more to follow this week.

Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, in the centre of Cardiff is the largest temporary hospital in Wales and the second-largest in the UK, providing up to 2,000 additional beds for Covid-19 patients.

As reported in yesterday’s Echo, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said the site had now welcomed its first patients nine days after it was officially opened on April 20.

The board has since confirmed 12 patients have been admitted, with more expected later in the week.

They will be transferred to the stadium from the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and University Hospital Llandough, as they continue their recovery from coronavirus.

Stuart Walker, executive medical director at the health board, said a number of beds were being opened up to prepare for a potential increase in demand when social distancing measures are relaxed.

He said: “Those increases may materialise to some degree over the next few weeks, and it was always our intention to use some beds at Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, as soon as appropriate to do so, as part of our normal UHB bed base – alongside our core hospitals plus Barry and St David’s Community Hospitals.

“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.”