Glasgow’s empty SEC field hospital set up to deal with coronavirus patients will be used to bring down waiting lists for non-covid planned healthcare.

A wide range of treatments postponed because of the pandemic could be provided at NHS Louisa Jordan, if initial orthopaedic outpatient consultations prove successful.

Staff training, teaching and examinations will also take place at the site, which is big enough to maintain physical distance among trainees and students.

But the NHS Louisa Jordan, which was set up to treat up to 1,000 virus patients but was not needed, will be able to switch back to being a virus treatment centre at a “few days’ notice” if there is another surge in cases.

Medical leaders have called for the hospital to be one of a range of different measures used to help treat patients who have seen procedures delayed for months because of the pandemic.

The health service in Scotland began a “cautious” restart of paused services last month.

Stopgap measures over the pandemic had seen some patients treated in private hospitals where operations could safely take place in a lower risk environment.

However there are concerns it could take nearly a year to catch up with cancelled procedures.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “As we begin to resume some paused NHS services safely, carefully and in a series of stages, this national hospital will play an important role in helping our NHS recover by providing planned healthcare for non-covid outpatients.

“It will also ensure the sustainability of our NHS workforce as the clinical setting, alongside the ability to maintain physical distancing, will allow undergraduates and postgraduates to carry out training, teaching and examinations, and support training for the wider health and social care workforce in Scotland.

“By continuing to follow the clear public health advice, we can continue to suppress this virus in Scotland.”

Chief Nursing Officer Fiona McQueen said: “The NHS Louisa Jordan has not been required to treat covid-19 patients as we have been able to retain capacity in NHS Scotland thanks to our continued collective effort to tackle this pandemic.

“Should it be required, all training and planned non-covid healthcare will be stopped and the hospital will be ready to accept covid-19 patients at a few days’ notice.”

Sign up to our bulletin sent twice a week so you don’t miss out on the latest health and social care news.