Large scale fire evacuation exercise set to take place at Deeside field hospital

A large scale exercise will take place on Thursday at Deeside’s temporary hospital which has been built at the leisure centre.

The fire evacuation simulation will involve around 40 mock patients and a range of different clinical and non-clinical staff to make it as ‘realistic as possible.’

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesperson said: “Emergency Service partners at the Fire Service and Welsh Ambulance Service will support the event, which will provide a rare opportunity for staff from across the Health Board to learn whilst experiencing some of the pressure that would be related to an evacuation due to fire.

Our Rainbow Hospitals were developed through effective partnership working as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and remain ready to support healthcare services in North Wales.”

The temporary 430-bed hospital in Deeside – built at a cost of over £13m – has remained unused during the pandemic but will remain on standby through the winter due to concerns over a potential second wave of coronavirus.

Three temporary hospitals have been established in North Wales, Deeside, Llandudno and Bangor giving the health board added capacity during the pandemic.

As well as preventing admissions they were designed to help “step-down” patients, who had received treatment at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Glan Clwyd Hospital and Wrexham Maelor Hospitals, to recover and eventually return home.