NHS Borders facing extreme pressure as hospital reaches capacity

NHS Borders says it's facing extreme pressures, with its General Hospital having reached full capacity.

All beds at the Melrose-based hospital are now full, and bays on three wards are also out of action due to Covid-19 cases.

Community health services, including GP surgeries, are also under extreme amounts of pressure.

The trust is asking the public to call 111 before going to A&E, adding that 999 should only be used if the condition is immediately life-threatening.

A spokesperson for NHS Borders said: "If you do require urgent medical care at the ED, please be patient and treat our staff with respect.

"We are attending to patients as soon as we can however you may have to wait longer than you would normally expect; and patients will be treated according to clinical priority.

"If your family member is fit to be discharged from hospital, please help us to get them home quickly by being ready and available to collect them or support their discharge to their next place of care.

"Please understand that we cannot always offer the preferred next place of care in the location that you would choose, and we may ask you to compromise.

"Working with us to accept this means that we can get the flow through our hospitals moving and offer care to the maximum amount of people who need it.

"If you are feeling under the weather and have a cough, cold, sore throat, fever or stomach bug please wait until you are feeling better (and have been symptom-free for 48 hours) before visiting your loved ones in our hospitals."

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