PRIVATE hospital beds must be brought into the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak before the service becomes overwhelmed, Scottish Labour urged today.

The party’s health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon, is seeking assurances from the Scottish government that beds, equipment and staff can be accessed to support the country’s response to the pandemic.

Ms Lennon said: “During a national health emergency, nothing should be off the table when it comes to ensuring our NHS in Scotland has what it needs.

“More beds, staff and equipment are needed to cope with the spread of the virus and give those who develop life-threatening symptoms the best chance of survival.

“We’ve watched in horror as patients in Italy have died because of a lack of ventilators and intensive-care beds. We’ve had the warnings and we must act.”

Making use of private-sector resources for NHS Scotland could “make the difference between life and death for some patients,” she said.