Dragon's Heart Hospital is a temporary hospital located at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. It opened on the 13th April 2020 to help deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. It is the third of the COVID-19 hospitals set up in the United Kingdom, and the first in Wales. It has 300 beds, with space to expand to up to 2,000, which would make it the largest hospital in Wales, and the second largest in the United Kingdom.
Background
Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale UHB Len Richards confirmed that the health board had carried out modelling and predictions of patient number scenarios, aided by research from Imperial College, London. As a result of that research, they felt it necessary to expand capacity in the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan area through a large field hospital. The Millennium Stadium was established as an early candidate for the field hospital as the UK's fourth largest stadium and the largest in Wales, and the site was designed and made operational in under two weeks in March. The project required 5,000 planning hours, 650 contractors and 30 members of the armed forces. The project involved £8m in capital spending from Welsh Government, and involvement from Cardiff Council, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, the Welsh Rugby Union, the Millennium Stadium, and NHS Wales. However it has been stated that where capacity is available, the facility will be open to patients from other health boards across Wales.
Details
The first 330-bed spaces were completed on 11 April, and handed over by the Main Contractor, ES Global Ltd, to the client, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. It opened for service on the 13th April. Facilities available include mobile X-ray and CT scanners, and the stadium has opened both the playing surface and directors boxes for use as treatment space. The home and awaydressing rooms have been repurposed to serve as office spaces. A police cell in the under-course of the stadium has also been made available. Cardiff Arms Park is being utilised as part of the Dragon's Heart hospital and has already seen flooring laid upon the artificial turf. The site will have end-of-life pathway care for those facing a critical prognosis. NHS Wales chief executive Dr Andrew Goodall has stated that the hospital combined with other regional field hospitals in Wales will serve to double the service's bed capacity and increase the number by around 6,000. The primary focus will be on patients coming to the end of their illness and those recovering to return home, allowing more capacity to become available within intensive care wards elsewhere for critical patients. However, there will also be patients on palliative care plans located at the site. The WRU has also worked with the Vale Resort in Hensol to make a further 255 patient space available at its training ground site in the Vale of Glamorgan, to open on 27 April. That site will include eight wards and food supplied from the adjacent hotel. The Hensol Castle Distillery will provide hand sanitiser on that site.
Naming
The hospital was named following a public consultation, with the eventual name chosen by staff and the public from 2,000 responses. It was formally opened on 20 April by Charles, Prince of Wales, via a pre-recorded video message.
Resources
WalesOnline report that once operational, the hospital will provide 20,000 porter visits daily to different parts of the hospital, producing three-and-a-half tons of clinical waste, and consume hundreds of thousands of litres of oxygen.
Staffing
Around 2,500 staff will be employed when the site is at full capacity. This will include 100 doctors, 500 nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, volunteers, porters, catering staff, health care assistants and those returning from retirement to the profession. Wales rugby international Jamie Roberts, a qualified doctor, was involved in the opening.
Operation
The first patient was admitted to the hospital on 28 April 2020.
