THE NHS has been put on an “emergency footing” to respond to the growing numbers of people with coronavirus.

Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, said there are plans for more beds and more oxygen and non-urgent operations are being cancelled to focus on treating those with the virus, while still treating other patients with life threatening conditions.

The move, which the health secretary said was the biggest shake up of the NHS ever, will last at least three months.

It follows earlier advice to stay away from pubs and other public social spaces and the advice to cancel gatherings of 500 or more people.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon, said the advice was: “We are now on the cusp of a rapid escalation in the spread of Covid-19.”

She said: “That means that we must take far more stringent steps to suppress, as far as we can, the spread of the virus, to protect and scale up the capacity of the national health service as best we can, and, by doing those things, save lives.”

The Health Secretary then outlined the unprecedented measures being put in place.

Ms Freeman said: “Responding to Covid-19 requires a swift and radical change in the way in which our NHS does its work. It is nothing short of the most rapid reconfiguration of our health service in its 71-year history.”

She used powers to bring in the emergency as predictions are for a “substantial and sustained” rise in cases.

The Health Secretary also said: “I want to be very clear that vital cancer treatments and emergency, maternity and urgent care will continue.”

She said the impact of coronavirus on cancer patients has been a priority in all the planning,

Ms Freeman added: “We will ensure that all appropriate measures are undertaken in the present situation to protect those living with cancer.”

The first goal, she said, is to double the intensive care unit capacity in Scotland.

Health boards are providing training to staff to make that happen.

Contingency plans for hundreds more oxygen units in hospitals and in the community are in place, with 450 ordered for use in the community.

The Government plan is to increase current bed capacity across NHS Scotland from 13,000, to at least 16,000.

The plan will include recruiting former NHS staff and putting senior students in the latter stages of their training into front line healthcare roles.

Schools still remain open over worries that parents, who work in the health service will need to take time of work but is being reviewed every day.

Schools in Glasgow are due to break for Easter holidays on April 3 for two weeks.

Ms Freeman added: “We are not, so far, proposing the blanket closure of schools.

“At present, our judgment is that the negative consequences of that for the overall wellbeing of children, and the impact on the health service workforce, outweigh the benefits.

“However, I assure the public that that is under daily review, and that the protection of children will always be our priority.”