Glasgow's NHS Louisa Jordan is set to admit coronavirus patients for the first time as the number of hospital admissions related to the virus continues to rise across Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon revealed earlier this week that NHS Ayrshire and Arran is currently at 96 per cent of its Covid capacity, with three other health boards - Borders, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire - all above 60 per cent of their capacity.
To date over 12,000 patients have been seen for scans and outpatient appointments at the temporary emergency critical care hospital within the SEC Centre, and nearly 5,000 NHS staff and students have been trained there.
It is now also being used for covid vaccinations.
Last night, the Scottish Government said: “The facility is providing Covid vaccines for health and social care staff and stands ready to help manage any additional demand of Covid-19 patients for hospitals by providing care for individuals who have tested positive, require hospitalisation, but are in a stable condition and do not need critical care.”
It comes as ambulances were turned away from Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow yesterday morning as health services battle to fight coronavirus and injuries stemming from increasingly worsening weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the latest official figures released yesterday confirmed a further 68 coronavirus deaths in the previous 24 hours, bringing Scotland's death toll to date to 4,701.
A total of 2,039 people had also tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland in the previous 24 hours - bringing the Scottish total to 141,066.
Of these, 603 were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde with 296 in Lanarkshire.
