- 30/04/2020
- Posted by: David Rees MS
- Category: News
Welsh Government premises throughout Wales are being used by the NHS to provide life-saving care and to support the national response to the coronavirus pandemic.
From Bangor in North Wales to St Athan in South Wales, government-owned property is being re-purposed as part of the national effort.
Ken Skates, Minster for Economy, Transport and North Wales, said:
“Coronavirus is posing unprecedented challenges but across Wales we’ve seen people, businesses and organisations going above and beyond to try and meet them.
“I’m pleased the Welsh Government is able to provide its estate to help the NHS and to support the production of vital new life-saving equipment.
“We also continue to work with our partners on our estate to support the NHS and public services in responding to the pandemic.”
- Industry Wales, in partnership with the NHS, is using a new office at the Waterton Technology Centre, in Bridgend, to co-ordinate efforts to produce additional ventilators.
- Units at Parc Menai, Bangor have been set aside for use by Arfon Primary Care, part of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, for urgent medical consultations and testing.
- Swansea Bay University Health Board, working with Swansea University, will occupy part of the Welsh Government’s NDT building in Port Talbot as a centre to store and distribute supplies for the treatment of coronavirus.
- A 1,000-bed field hospital is being created at the Welsh Government’s building at Bay Studios, Swansea. The property is currently let to Roy Thomas, the owner of the Bay Studios site.
- The Welsh Wound Innovation Centre, at Ynysmaerdy, near Llantrisant is providing the use of its premises to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital.
- Invacare, based at the Sony Technology Centre, is supplying medical products to the NHS including mattresses for the Nightingale Hospital in the Excel Centre, London and elsewhere.
- TJM Laser is working with the Royal Mint to produce visors for the NHS. It is temporarily locating to Bro Tathan Business Park to meet the daily requirement for PPE. It has produced more than 200,000 visors and the move to Bro Tathan will allow it to increase production to 15,000 visors per day.
- Airbus is member of the UK wide consortium VentilatorChallengeUK for rapid production of ventilators, and is using the Welsh Government-funded AMRC Cymru in Broughton to manufacture ventilators.