Borders General Hospital warns of operation cancellations amid 'extreme pressure'

Hospital services in the Scottish Borders remain under "extreme pressure", according to the area's NHS health board.

All beds at the Borders General near Melrose are fully occupied and hospital managers have warned that some routine operations may be cancelled.

They're urging people to help ease the strain by only attending casualty for genuine emergencies.

People are also being asked to collect relatives ready for discharge as soon as possible to free up beds for new patients.

Director of Acute Services Gareth Clinkscale said, “We continue to experience extreme pressures across the health system and the Borders General Hospital remains at capacity. Our beds are fully occupied and our Emergency Department is exceptionally busy, with a number of people requiring admission.

"In addition, Hay Lodge Hospital in Peebles remains closed as a result of a Covid-19 outbreak and we continue to experience high rates of Covid-19 related staff absence.

"To alleviate these pressures, our surge capacity plans are in place. Everything possible is being done for planned routine operations to go ahead as scheduled however, it may be necessary to cancel some operations as a result of these pressures. In the event of cancellations, affected patients will being contacted directly. If you have an operation scheduled for this week please attend as normal unless our team have contacted you to advise that is has been cancelled."