Hospital at ‘code black’ as NHS buckles under increasing Covid cases
A hospital has warned it is facing “unprecedented” demand amid rising Covid cases and staff forced to self-isolate.
Raigmore hospital has reached capacity, with long waits at A&E – known as “code black” status, the most serious level of system pressure.
All non-urgent elective surgery and outpatient activity has been cancelled across the health board in a “difficult decision”.
Urgent surgeries and outpatient activity, along with cancer care, will continue.
Community teams in Highland and Argyll and Bute are also suffering, NHS Highland said.
Staff rotas are being reviewed and additional support systems mobilised.
Dr Boyd Peters, Medical Director for NHS Highland apologised for the “upsetting” move to cancel non-urgent work.
It is understood the increased pressure has come from high demand for noncovid services in the hospital, and high numbers of staff having to self-isolate because of contact with Covid cases.
These contacts were mostly
in the community, NHS Highland said, rather than major outbreaks in healthcare settings. The situation in NHS Highland has been labelled a “warning” by doctors’ union BMA Scotland.
Dr Lewis Morrison, chair of BMA Scotland, said: “The news to come out of NHS Highland is extremely concerning and is a stark reminder – if anyone needed it – of just how overstretched our NHS currently is – and has been, even pre-pandemic.”
He added: “There is growing pressure and demand across all services of our NHS, and some services are now seriously short-staffed.
"Given the rising number of cases in the community it is somewhat inevitable, however we didn’t have the staff to cope properly prior to these increased pressures, we certainly don’t have them now.
“NHS Highland may be something of a warning light for much of our NHS and reflects the experience members are increasingly reporting to us, highlighting just how susceptible to disruption many services are right now.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, Jamie Stone, said the escalating situation showed the Scottish Government “does not have a grip on the pandemic”.
Dr Boyd Peters, Medical Director for NHS Highland, said the health board is doing “all it can” to keep the situation under control.
“We are doing all we can
to safeguard services but we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel nonurgent work which I know many will find upsetting and frustrating,” he said. "We are very sorry that we have had to do this.
" Covid is on the increase again but what is different this time is that we are seeing more medical and surgical activity at the same time. We also have a high number of staff having to self-isolate.
“If you are accessing services please be advised that your wait may be longer than expected. We are doing everything we can to minimise that but the pressure on the system is significant. We would also ask that you ensure you are accessing the right service for the care you need.”
Figures from Public Health Scotland published yesterday revealed the highest number of visits to A&E since before thepandemic.almost300,000
visits were recorded in May, the highest monthly figure since January 2020.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine described the figures “deeply concerning”.
Vice President Dr John Thomson said: “We are battling community admissions, elective care patients seeking treatment, as well as increasing covid patients attending ourdepartments,allwithinthe context of reduced bed-stock. Departments are filled with
patients, some who may have Covid, waiting to be seen, while long-stays alone can put patient safety at risk.
" This risk is increased as some patients could contract the disease in a busy Emergency Department.”
Scottish Labour health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, called for more funding for accident and emergency staff.