Rainbow hospitals in Cardigan and Aberystwyth cost a total of almost £200,000 to set up and run, it has been revealed.

Ysgol Penweddig and Plascrug Leisure Centre in Aberystwyth, along with Cardigan Leisure Centre, were converted to provide overflow beds in case the coronavirus overwhelmed the health system at the start of the pandemic in April last year.

Penweddig was handed back to the council in July, and Plascrug was decommissioned at the end of March this year.

A breakdown of costs, supplied by Hywel Dda University Health Board under the Freedom of Information Act, show the total cost of operating the field hospitals at the leisure centres in Cardigan and Aberystwyth was just under £200,000.

An initial layout of £36,456 was paid out to convert the centres for use, with no monthly expenditure recorded until August 2020 when £11,000 (not including VAT) was charged.

That was followed by £16,000 a month from September 2020 to January 2021, £52,000 in February 2021, and £20,000 in March.

A similar Freedom of Information Act request to Ceredigion County Council has been acknowledged but no information or response has yet been received.

Including expenditure for the large-scale Ysybty Carreg Las at Bluestone in Pembrokeshire, the total revenue costs of the three field hospitals – not including VAT of 20 per cent – was £4,322,500 with monthly expenditure varying from £730,000 a month to £292,500.

Additional funding was provided for the health board by Welsh Government for Covid-19 responses, some of which “off-set” the cost of field hospitals.

“The higher costs earlier in the financial year are representative of estimated monthly costs at the time,” the health board said in its

response.

“The contracted costs were renegotiated mid-way through the year, this resulted in an overall reduction in expenditure of £67,200 plus VAT per week, which has been reflected over the remaining months.

“The health board has received updated information from Ceredigion council confirming that some rates had not previously been accounted for; these have now been reflected in the uplift shown in February 2021.

“The information provided is based on current forecasted costs for the financial year 2020/21, which includes all revenue running costs associated with Ysbyty Enfys Carreg Las, Ysbyty Enfys Aberteifi and Aberystwyth field hospitals.

“They reflect costs on an accruals basis i.e. costs may be accounted for before cash is paid out to Bluestone and Ceredigion County Council.”

The health board says it does not anticipate any further costs for the Ceredigion field hospitals.

Ysbyty Enfys Plascrug was decommissioned at the end of March with Cardigan Leisure Centre retained as a test trace and protect and vaccination facility.

Ceredigion council said that “significant work” is required to reinstate the leisure centre at Plascrug and no reopening date has yet been set.