Coronavirus assessment centre set to open at Bangor City Football Club

A health board has been working with GPs to set up a local assessment centre to treat patients with symptoms of coronavirus.

The facility will open at Bangor City Football Club this week and will assess patients with symptoms of COVID-19, either to manage their condition at home or to be referred on for further treatment.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said the centre would not be carrying out testing, and is only for patients who are offered an appointment. A drop-in service will not be offered.

Arfon GP cluster lead, Dr Nia Hughes, said: “The Arfon GP Cluster will be using the facilities at the Bangor City Football Club, Nantporth, Bangor, as its COVID-19 assessment hub.

“We will have a team of GPs and administrative staff based here during core GP hours, to see patients with potential COVID symptoms who have been triaged by their own GP to require further clinical assessment of their symptoms.

“This is to try to keep COVID and non-COVID patients separate from each other, to protect both patients and staff.

“We are very grateful to Bangor City Football Club, Nantporth CIC and Bangor City Council for their support.”

Bangor City Football Club is providing the building free of charge for its use during the pandemic, and has already made a £5,000 donation towards Ysbyty Gwynedd’s intensive care unit to support staff.

Club president, Domenico Serafino, said: “I am very happy to offer the club’s facilities freely, at no cost, so that the health board can use our facility as one of their local assessment centres.

“Right now people’s health comes first and that is the priority for the club. It is important to carry out the assessments in order to tackle COVID-19 and the club has the facilities in order to provide it.”