Nicola Sturgeon said it was the right decision to spend more than £40m setting up the temporary Louisa Jordan hospital even if, as she hopes, it is never used.

On the day the temporary hospital at the SEC in Glasgow was handed over to the NHS and ready to admit patients if and when required, she said the precautionary measure , which provides an additional 300 beds was necessary to be able to respond should the coronavirus pandemic worsen in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said between the two choices of not creating the extra capacity and then finding out it was needed or creating it and then not needing it, the latter was the preferable option.

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Glasgow's emergency hospital NHS Louisa Jordan at SEC ready to receive patients

She said: “I hope we never have to use it. There may well be people who look back and say why did you do that when you didn’t need it.

“I would rather be in the position of not needing than finding out we did need it but didn’t decide to do it.

The First Minister said she was “more than comfortable” with spending the money on creating the extra capacity, adding “It would be wrong not to take that decision.

Meanwhile the chief executive of the new hospital gave an assurance it would provide a high level of care for any patients who do need it, even though it was a temporary hospital created within a conference venue in just a matter of weeks.

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Watch: Construction workers for NHS Louisa Jordan applaud as they complete the job

Jill Young said the design incorporated safe infection control and allowed for compassionate care and the privacy and dignity of patients.

She said: “We’ve built that into the design here. So I would like to give that absolute reassurance that patients should feel every confidence if they have to come here for their care.”

The hospital, named after a first world war nurse form Maryhill, was designed and built by around 800 construction workers and NHS staff.

While it currently has 300 beds it will be able to accommodate 1000 should there be a huge increase in people needing hospital treatment from the coronavirus pandemic.

The hospital will be available for at least the next five months should there be a resurgence of the virus or a second wave later in the summer.

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Relative of Maryhill nurse Louisa Jordan traced as Glasgow hospital opens its doors

However if it is needed for longer then Ms Young said it will be available for “as long as is necessary”.

It will have all the functions of a hospital including a chemist, CT scanner, catering, cleaning, portering services.

Ms Young said the hospital will be able to be used if specific triggers are met and could take patients from across Scotland.

Ms Young added: “There will be specific procedures we will have to put in place for infection control and the nurses and other staff will have to wear you know their PPE equipment when they’re caring for patients.

“But wherever possible we’re trying to maintain as normal a lifestyle that they would expect in the hospital while they’re here.

“Hopefully they wouldn’t be here for too long and we’ll get them discharged back home to the families and their loved ones.”

Glasgow Times:

The temporary hospital is for coronavirus patients who do not need intensive care or who are recovering form intensive care.

It is located between the two main hospitals in the city, The Queen Elizabeth and the Royal infirmay and is close to the M8 for patients to be trasferred from other parts of Scotland.