Mitie, the FM and professional services company, is providing cleaning, catering, portering, security, and waste management services for NHS Wales’ new Ysbyty Calon y Ddraig (Dragon’s Heart Hospital) in Cardiff.
Many Mitie employees will be based at the Principality Stadium, which has been adapted to accommodate a new emergency contingency hospital to support Cardiff & Vale University Health Board and give it additional capacity during the COVID-19 crisis. The field hospital opened with a 300-patient capacity on 12 April. At full capacity, it could accommodate up to 2,000 beds, making it the UK’s second largest temporary hospital.
Over 200 Mitie employees are already based there, and, depending on the latest clinical advice and the extent of spread of COVID-19 across Wales and the rest of the UK, the FM specialist says many more of its personnel could be deployed there. With a tight timeframe to get the Dragon’s Heart Hospital open for patients, Mitie teams worked around the clock to prepare the site and mobilise 200 employees in just five days.
In addition to supporting the Dragon’s Heart Hospital, Mitie is providing critical maintenance services for the NHS Nightingale London Hospital at the capital’s ExCel Centre in the city’s Docklands. This includes ensuring that all power, water, heating, and lighting is kept in full working order, in addition to waste management.
Mitie added: “Providing services for the new field hospitals is just one example of how we are supporting the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Mitie employees – such as cleaners, security officers and engineers – are based at hundreds of sites critical to keeping the UK moving – including hospitals, supermarkets, nuclear facilities, transport hubs, government locations, telephony infrastructure, data centres, and financial institutions, to name just a few.”
Simon Venn, Chief Government & Strategy Officer at Mitie, said: “We are immensely proud to be playing our part in the national effort to tackle coronavirus and supporting NHS Wales at such a critical time. We all know about, and applaud, the amazing and courageous work undertaken day and night by NHS doctors and nurses to combat the pandemic across the UK. However, there are many other unsung heroes working tirelessly on the frontline in an effort to save lives. Thank you to all the Mitie cleaners, security officers, stewards, porters, caterers, housekeepers, engineers, and waste management experts who also put others before themselves in order to turn the tide on this pandemic.”
