Construction work on the NHS Louisa Jourdan will conclude today with the hospital standing operationally ready to treat patients from tomorrow. 

The Scottish Government has confirmed that the hospital is clinically ready to treat patients during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak if required.

The news comes less than a month since the First Minister announced that the NHS Louisa Jordan would be established to help ensure NHS Scotland has extra capacity to treat patients during the coronavirus (COVID-1) pandemic.

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Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I want to offer my sincere gratitude and thanks to the contractors and NHS Scotland staff who have come from across Scotland to work tirelessly to transform the SEC into the NHS Louisa Jordan. You are an inspiration to us all.

“The decision on patients being accepted at the NHS Louisa Jordan will be reviewed on a regular basis. I hope this facility will not be needed as, alongside the public’s continued efforts to stay at home, NHS Scotland has already taken steps to increase the number of NHS beds.

“The exceptional efforts of everyone involved in creating NHS Louisa Jordan during this unprecedented public health emergency will ensure this national facility will be able to treat patients from across Scotland, helping to save lives and protect our NHS.”

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Chief Executive of NHS Louisa Jordan Jill Young said: “Building the NHS Louisa Jordan has been an incredible effort. It has been a privilege to lead the project and I want to thank all those who have come from across the country to help us establish this national facility.

“The hospital stands ready to treat patients from across Scotland in a safe, effective and compassionate way, if required.”

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.

The hospital will have capacity for an initial 300 patients and this can be expanded to more than 1,000 beds. 1036 bed bays have been built at the hospital.

Constructing the hospital and the equipping of each bed is expected to cost approximately £43 million.