An additional 15 beds to open at Deeside's Rainbow Hospital
26/01/2021
Ysbyty Enfys Deeside, the rainbow hospital at Deeside Leisure Centre, is increasing its capacity to 45 beds from 30 due to pressures on our hospitals.
An increase in community transmission of COVID-19 in North Wales, particularly across Flintshire and Wrexham, is putting significant pressure on Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
The additional capacity at the Rainbow Hospital will help to make beds available at Wrexham Maelor.
The criteria for which patients will be treated at Ysbyty Enfys Deeside has also been widened to include more unwell patients.
Dr Cameron Abbott, Clinical Lead at Ysbyty Enfys Deeside, said: “Ideally we would treat all patients within our acute hospitals, but patient numbers are rapidly escalating.
“We have no further areas within Wrexham Maelor that we can put extra beds and the nature of COVID-19 means that we have to reduce the number of patients in some areas to support infection prevention measures.”
The number of people being admitted with COVID-19 at Wrexham Maelor Hospital has more than doubled since Christmas.
This additional capacity will support our plans to ensure we continue to provide timely access to care and support when patients need it.
Significant work is also underway to increase the Health Board’s workforce capacity to staff the temporary hospitals.
The increasing number of patients being treated for COVID-19 has also had a significant impact on routine services at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, resulting in planned surgery being postponed (from Monday January 11th). This has allowed staff to temporarily move from postponed services to support on COVID-19 wards and at Ysbyty Enfys Deeside.
The temporary hospital was set up at the start of the pandemic in April, and welcomed its first patient, 55-year-old Mold resident Arfon Hardy, in early November.
The hospital’s Ward 1 is based in what was Deeside Leisure Centre’s main sports hall, with a total capacity of up to 110 patients. Across North Wales, provisions are in place to open up to 1,000 additional beds in rainbow hospitals if needed.
Ysbyty Enfys Deeside is managed by a team of doctors, nursing and therapies staff working together to help patients return home following treatment for COVID-19. The team take a multi-disciplinary approach, working together to share expertise and skills, to help patients make the final steps before going home.