AN NHS Borders health boss says staff are facing a "very challenging situation" as it was announced that all planned routine operations at the region’s full-to-capacity district hospital have been cancelled for this week.
Chief executive Ralph Roberts says the decision has been taken "reluctantly" but believes it is necessary to address urgent issues.
He explained: “Due to extreme pressures the Borders General Hospital is at capacity. Our beds are fully occupied and our Emergency Department is exceptionally busy, with a number of people requiring admission.
“In addition, ward 9 at the Borders General Hospital and Hay Lodge Hospital in Peebles remain closed as a result of Covid-19 outbreaks and we continue to experience high rates of Covid-19 related staff absence.
“In order to alleviate these pressures, reluctantly all planned operations have been cancelled this week. Affected patients are being contacted directly. Everything possible will be done so that urgent cancer and emergency surgery continues during this time. We are truly sorry to the patients affected by these decisions.
“This is a very challenging situation and our staff are working round the clock to care for their patients.
“Our surge in capacity plans are in place and we can assure you that we are doing everything we can to make beds available and continue with planned operations as soon as possible.”
The public is also being asked to help ease the pressures on services.
Roberts added: “Before you attend the Emergency Department please call NHS 24 on 111 first and they will signpost you to the right place to get advice or care that you need. You may need to wait a while for your call to be answered or for a member of the team to call you back, but this can be done in the comfort of your own home. If you do need to be seen you can be given an appointment time to minimise the time you need to spend in the department. This also reduces pressures on our team.
“If you think that your condition is immediately life-threatening you should call 999.
“If your family member is fit to be discharged from hospital, please help us to get them home quickly when they are well enough 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 you would choose, and we may ask you to compromise. Working with us to accept this means that we can get the flow through the hospital moving and offer care to the maximum amount of people who need it.”
