The Le Mans racing team helping to construct Deeside’s Rainbow Hospital

The team was enlisted for the Deeside Hospital Project by global specialist in healthcare engineering and construction, MIG, which has been working in partnership with local authorities and military planners to rapidly establish the field hospital by the end of April.

Much of RLR MSport’s on-track success can be attributed to its diverse engineering and manufacturing capabilities and a highly skilled workforce that hold Mechanical Engineering degrees from some of the most esteemed universities and colleges in the North of England and Wales.

Work on the Rainbow Deeside Hospital commenced at the start of the month, with the 1452 square metre skate park and adjoining ice-rink dismantled and cleared before teams of contractors began fitting out the emergency hospital.

Since then, RLR Sports highly skilled workforce has manufactured steel supports, brackets and storage units at its Darwen headquarters, and fitted 1600 metres of copper piping and built hangars to hold large oxygen cylinders and manifolds at the Deeside facility.

Construction of the Rainbow Deeside Hospital is expected to be completed this weekend, and RLR MSport Director of Motorsport Operations, Nick Reynolds, said: “I can’t thank our mechanics and engineers enough.

The scale of the Deeside Hospital Project is mind-blowing and I’m humbled by our guys’ work ethic and their willingness to get stuck into a wide range of tasks, wherever they were needed most.

They had to call upon all the skills and efficiency they’ve honed at the racetrack, working 12-hour shifts and making the 90-minute journey to Deeside every day without complaining, with the full support of our families.”

Nick continued: “I must thank MIG for inviting us onto the job and providing an opportunity to contribute to the frontline effort against COVID-19.

Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected or have lost loved ones to the virus, as well as the incredibly brave and selfless health professionals working within the NHS and our social care system.”

@piersmorgan Rainbow hospital Deeside Piers – photo attached. Asked for volunteers from our furloughed engineers to look after the CV19 450 bed unit upon handover Monday. Proud to say oversubscribed with offers to support NHS Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/gJY4XocSQF

— cottamp (@CottampPaul) April 23, 2020

As well as Deeside Rainbow Hospital, there are two others being constructed in North Wales, at Venue Cymru Llandudno, and Bangor University, they will increase bed capacity in the region by over 1,000 beds. 

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has said the new bed capacity “will not be needed for some weeks.”

Dr Chris Stockport, Executive Director of Primary and Community Care, said: “Work is progressing well on our three temporary Rainbow Hospitals (Ysbytai Enfys).

Thanks to an unprecedented partnership effort, building work is now substantially complete, and we are at the stage of moving beds and all necessary equipment in.

This simply wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support of our partners at Bangor University, Flintshire County Council, Conwy County Borough Council and the many contractors who have worked day and night.

These Rainbow Hospitals are being rapidly established to help ensure that we are well prepared for a surge in demand.

Current modelling indicates that these beds will not be needed for some weeks.

This is because of the measures we have already taken to increase bed capacity in our existing hospitals, and the efforts of the North Wales public who are following the stay at home guidance.

We would like to thank people in communities across the region who are protecting the NHS and saving lives by staying at home.”