The Millennium Stadium will become a temporary hospital today as Cardiff prepares for an influx of revellers on one of the busiest nights of the festive season.

A mobile triage and treatment centre will be set up by St John Wales to free up A&E resources and look after Christmas party-goers in the city centre.

The home of Welsh sport has housed the triage unit for the past seven years to take care of minor injuries that occur in the city centre, while more serious problems are sent to University Hospital of Wales.

Millennium Stadium General Manager, and former chief superintendent with South Wales Police, Gerry Toms is familiar with the surge of merrymaking in the Welsh capital around the Christmas period.

“Christmas is a great time of year and a time when people head into the city centre and let their hair down ahead of the Christmas break. While the majority of Christmas parties go ahead in good spirits, accidents do happen, and the influx of people can be demanding on city centre services,” said Mr Toms.

The Welsh Rugby Union offers the stadium free of hire charge for community initiatives as part of the Millennium Stadium Community Events project. He added: “I’m thrilled that St John Wales will benefit from our Community Events programme on what is an extremely demanding time of year for ambulance services.”

Keith Dunn, CEO for St John Wales, said: “St John Wales, the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust and other emergency services have always enjoyed a close working relationship.

“These innovative projects would not be able to operate without the support of the Millennium Stadium and the dedication of the volunteers, who give up their time to help others, and ultimately save lives.”

St John Wales will also be providing medical support at mobile triage unit in Blaenau Gwent this evening.