NHS Borders issues plea to public as health service faces 'extreme pressures'
Last updated 4th Jan 2024
NHS Borders is issuing a plea to the public for help as health services in the region face "extreme pressures".
It says all beds at Borders General Hospital are taken and the Emergency Department is "exceptionally busy".
The health board has put out similar warnings a number of times over the past year. But now it has all the normal winter pressures on top.
Last month, we reported as many as 70 patients fit to be discharged were set to spend Christmas in hospital in the Borders because there was nowhere lined up for them to go.
The public are being asked to help by only attending A&E if their condition is life-threatening and collecting any loved one's ready to be discharged.
Lynne Huckerby, Interim Director of Acute Services at NHS Borders, said: “We are currently facing extreme pressures across the health and social care system, particularly at Borders General Hospital.
"This is a challenging situation, and we are very grateful to our staff who are working tirelessly to ensure that we can continue to provide care and treatment to those who need us most.
“However, we also need your help to do this. Please make sure you are attending the right place to get the care that you need, and if you have loved ones who are ready to be discharged, please collect them as soon as you possibly can to help us maintain a steady flow of patients through the hospital.”
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The health board adds the NHS Inform website should often be our first port of call and community pharmacists can also provide expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses.
Anyone needing A&E is being urged to call 111 first - unless their condition is life-threatening, in which case they should dial 999.
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The latest announcement comes as new stats show the number of complaints about health services in the Borders has increased by more than a third over the last year - from 472 to 650.
Local Conservative MP John Lamont says the figures are "very concerning".
He said: “The crisis in Scotland’s NHS is getting worse. The SNP Government must take urgent action to prevent this concerning situation spiralling further.
“Despite the best efforts of hardworking NHS staff, patients are waiting far too long for essential and emergency treatment."
The Scottish Government says it welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to continue to learn and improve.
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