Borders General Hospital at full capacity due to 'extreme pressures'

The Borders General Hospital is at full capacity due to "extreme pressures".

NHS Borders are asking the public to ring 111 before going to Accident and Emergency so they can be signposted to where they need to go.

Their beds are currently full and their A&E are "exceptionally" busy.

Chief Executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Roberts said: "Due to extreme pressures the Borders General Hospital is at capacity. Our beds are full and our Emergency Department is exceptionally busy, with a number of people requiring admission.

"This is a very challenging situation and our staff are working round the clock to care for their patients.

"Our surge capacity plans are in place and we can assure you that we are doing everything we can to make beds available as soon as we can."

NHS Borders have warned that the public may need to wait a while for their call to be answered or to be called back.

If you need to be seen you may be given an appointment to minimise the time you need to spend in the department which also minimises pressure on the staff.

However, if it is an emergency then the public are still being urged to call 999.

Ralph Roberts added that it will help them if family members who are ready to be discharged from the hospital are arranged to go home as quickly as possible.

He added: "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 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."