NHS Louisa Jordan to help health service recovery

Some planned healthcare that was delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will now be carried out at the NHS Louisa Jordan to help NHS Scotland recover. 

Built at the beginning of the outbreak at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, the hospital will initially receive some orthopaedic outpatient consultations from July. If clinically successful, with positive patient experience, it could be used to provide a wide range of postponed non-COVID planned healthcare that has been delayed.

The hospital will also be used for staff training, teaching and examinations due to the clinical facilities and the space available to maintain physical distancing. 

The NHS Louisa Jordan has not been required to treat COVID-19 patients because of efforts made to suppress the virus. If required, the hospital continues to remain ready to accept COVID-19 patients at a few days’ notice.

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.

“It will also ensure the sustainability of our NHS workforce as the clinical setting, alongside the ability to maintain physical distancing, will allow undergraduates and postgraduates to carry out training, teaching and examinations, and support training for the wider health and social care workforce in Scotland.

“By continuing to follow the clear public health advice, we can continue to suppress this virus in Scotland.”

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.”

Background

Established to help ensure NHS Scotland had extra capacity to treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS Louisa Jordan has stood ready to accept patients since 20 April 2020.

The hospital was named after Glasgow born First World War nurse Sister Louisa Jordan who died on active service in Serbia in 1915 as part of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Services.

1036 bed bays were built at the hospital, with capacity to treat an initial 300 patients. The estimated set up costs for NHS Louisa Jordan is approximately £38 million, with operational and decommissioning costs yet to be determined.