Prince Charles to open stadium hospital in Cardiff
THE Prince of Wales will mark the official opening of the temporary hospital based at the Principality Stadium today.
Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, 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.
It will double the size of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board’s system, with patients being treated in large tent-like structures and the hospitality boxes. Around 750 beds are on the pitch, with 250 on platforms around it, and there is on-site radiography, laboratories and a pharmacy.
Len Richards, chief executive of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said the stadium “embodies the heart and soul of the nation”.
“We are planning on the basis of what we think we might need to ensure we are as ready as we can be,” he said.
“I sincerely hope we don’t need to use all of the capacity but it is far better to have developed plans based upon the scientific evidence and modelling of the experts. This facility will allow us to free up capacity at our other hospital sites so that we can continue to provide services to patients with other health conditions.”
Mr Richards paid tribute to the “commitment and dedication” shown by everyone involved in the project, which has been funded by the Welsh government.
On Monday afternoon, the official opening will be hosted by Welsh rugby star Dr Jamie Roberts, who has been temporarily working in the NHS as a clinical innovation fellow.
The event will close with a video recorded by Charles at his Birkhall home in Scotland.
Over the past few weeks, more than 650 people have been employed to either work at Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig or to fill posts at the University Hospital of Wales.