NHS Lanarkshire’s government medical director is interesting to residents to think about alternate options to A&E or count on lengthy waits as stress on hospitals continues to be a serious concern.
Dr Jane Burns is urging folks to not attend accident and emergency except their situation is “pressing or life-threatening” because the variety of Covid sufferers in hospitals throughout Lanarkshire reached continues to rise.
She mentioned: “There are a variety of causes for the present relentless pressures on Lanarkshire hospitals however primarily it's the variety of sufferers requiring therapy each with and with out Covid.
Obtain the Lanarkshire Dwell app as we speak
The Lanarkshire Dwell app is obtainable to obtain now.
Get all of the information out of your space – in addition to options, leisure, sport and the newest on Lanarkshire’s restoration from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
The free obtain options the newest breaking information and unique tales, and means that you can customise your web page to the sections that matter most to you.
Head to the App Retailer and by no means miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android
“Our three acute hospital websites are past full with capability often over 100 per cent.
“This has been the case for quite a few weeks and the scenario isn't easing, in actual fact this week hospitals throughout Scotland together with Lanarkshire have seen a file variety of Covid sufferers.
“Sadly, that is leading to many sufferers in our emergency departments ready nicely in extra of our goal of 4 hours for a situation that would have been handled by one other healthcare service.
“It's also placing stress of how shortly we will admit sufferers who require emergency care.”
Dr Burns additionally admitted that the rising Covid numbers are additionally having a extreme knock-on impact to workers.
Workers absences stay excessive on account of self-isolation which is in challenges throughout all the healthboard’s providers with workers struggling to manage.
She added: “We even have wards closed throughout our websites on account of Covid which once more reduces beds obtainable to sufferers and creates additional further pressures whereas we try to get well providers and deal with sufferers who want our care.
“The security of our sufferers and workers is our high precedence and we're taking all essential steps to make sure protected and efficient affected person care and deal with the present pressures.
“Nevertheless, we additionally perceive that when somebody has an sickness or minor harm they need assist as quickly as doable and the emergency division is open 24 hours seven days every week however there are alternate options to the emergency division.
“If somebody’s situation isn't essential or life-threatening we would like folks to assume ‘is an emergency division the fitting place for me to hunt healthcare or is there an alternate the place I can nonetheless be handled with the identical stage of care’.
“There are alternate options together with our minor accidents models, a name to NHS 24 on 111 day or evening who will direct folks to the fitting NHS service which is able to end in folks being seen and handled faster.
“If somebody does have to return to one in every of our emergency departments, they have to be ready to face lengthy waits to be seen, in some cases a number of hours.
“This could result in sufferers getting pissed off with our workers however we ask that individuals be affected person and be type and thoughtful to our workers.
“We're working extraordinarily arduous in very troublesome circumstances to do the easiest we will for every one in every of our sufferers.”
Residents are reminded that if anybody does attend one in every of our emergency departments workers might redirect them in the direction of different extra acceptable providers.
Do not miss the newest headlines from round Lanarkshire. Signal as much as our newsletters right here.
And do you know Lanarkshire Dwell is on Fb? Head on over and provides us a like and share!