When will Gwent's new Grange University Hospital open?

The Grange is due to open on November 17, having been brought forward from the spring of 2021.

The hospital had been readied as a field hospital during the height of the initial lockdown, although no patients needed to be treated there.

READ MORE:

• Wales' NHS could be overwhelmed 'in matter of weeks' if coronavirus rise continues.
• Sixth formers at a Newport school must self-isolate during Wales' 'fire break' lockdown.
• Fire break lockdown is time to reset ahead of winter, says Mark Drakeford.

But now, coronavirus cases are on the rise again - there were 1,074 cases confirmed in Gwent in the week to October 23. But there are no plans to open the £350 million hospital earlier than November 17.

A spokeswoman said: "The Health Board has a very detailed plan to open the hospital on November 17 which will be under constant review as we respond to the pandemic over the coming weeks.

"It is not planning to open the new hospital any earlier than this date and has contingency plans across its existing hospitals to manage the increasing demand of Covid 19 patients."

First minister Mark Drakeford was asked about the situation with the hospital's opening on Friday, as a result of the rising number of coronavirus patients in Gwent's hospitals - which represented 33.1 per cent of hospital onset coronavirus cases in Wales in the week ending October 18.

"The Grange Hospital opening has been brought forward - it was scheduled for next year," he said. "I don't anticipate that it will be able to open very much earlier than the date we've already given, and Aneurin Bevan Health Board is not planning on it being available to it ahead of the current handover date.

"But it is coming very soon, and its coming a lot faster than we had originally anticipated, and those beds will now be available in that part of Wales for this winter."