NEW PRESSURE ON WARD STAFF
More than 120 patients in hospital with coronavirus have had both jabs as the surge in cases continues
ALMOST 300 Scots have been admitted to hospital with Covid-19 despite being fully-vaccinated as concern grows over the pressure on the NHS.
Figures show a surge in those who have received two doses of vaccine requiring care, as well as in those with only one jab.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) figures indicate that in the past month, there have been 288 fullyvaccinated people admitted to hospital with coronavirus.
The rate has risen alarmingly, from 38 cases in the week ending June 11 to 47 the following week, 74 in the week ending June 25 and 129 in the seven days up to July 2.
The number of patients who have had one dose rose from 17 to 43 over the same period.
Public health experts insist no vaccine is 100 per cent effective, but said it ‘provides the best protection against a disease that call still cause serious harm’.
The figures come as Scotland’s health service struggles with a growing number of both Covid patients and those with other serious illnesses.
Nearly half of all NHS boards have warned they are close to breaking point, with three hospitals declaring ‘code black’, meaning they have reached capacity.
Yesterday, Jillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, said it was ‘a really difficult time’ in the health service.
Speaking to the BBC’s The Sunday Show, she said: ‘We are seeing a lot of people who are admitted in an emergency and people who are really sick, so non-Covid care is under pressure. Then you add in to that the rises that we are seeing, in patients being admitted for Covid-related illness.’
Miss Evans said those hospitalised with Covid-19 were ‘not staying in anything like as long’ as in previous waves – and that the present situation was ‘not anything like as bad as it was in January’.
But she said with a surge in noncoronavirus patients and staff absence ‘it becomes a really difficult situation to manage and a system that doesn’t really have much headroom to begin with’.
Miss Evans admitted it was a ‘really difficult time in the NHS’, but signalled this could lead to changes over the next five years to boost the health service.
Scotland recorded 2,048 new coronavirus cases in the 24 hours to yesterday, latest figures show. No new deaths were recorded, although registry offices are generally closed at weekends.
A total of 444 people were in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, with a further 40 patients in intensive care.
Tomorrow Nicola Sturgeon is set to confirm whether Scotland will be able to move into Level 0 – which would see almost all restrictions eased.
But Miss Evans said she was ‘not comfortable at all’ with the plan and warned of a further surge in cases, although she suggested that any sharp rise would be followed with a ‘dramatic fall’ as vaccines boost immunity.’
She added: ‘The minute you open and get back to what’s normal you will have a rise in cases.
‘It will be a sharp peak followed by a dramatic fall. But we will still have problems further down the line, because of waning immunity. It’s not going to go away.’
As well as pressure on hospital wards, GP practices have warned of rising demand on their services with fears that a proposed vaccine booster programme could heap further pressure on them.
Dr Punam Krishan, a Glasgow GP, warned of growing pressure on family doctors, saying there had been ‘no stop, no break, no respite’ for healthcare staff. She said:
‘We’ve been trying to manage, as best we can, all non-Covid care. We are playing catch-up while trying to support our patients with all the new issues of long Covid and mental health.
‘We are taking the bulk of everything that’s coming our way. Patients can’t get hospital appointments or there are long waiting lists and they fall back to us GPs. We are trying our best to firefight, hoping that at some point we’ll be able to get a bit of air.’
Dr Krishan said the Government must work more with ‘GPs on the ground’ to address issues – like the feared winter flu season.
She said: ‘We’ve got flu season coming upon us now and it’s just a sense of “here we go again”.
‘Now we’ve got boosters on the scene too. That communication needs to come to use well ahead of it actually happening. And who is going to provide that?
‘We need the support and help – we need to be seen as human beings as well.’
The Scottish Government has announced a further £12million in additional funding for health boards to support non-Covid
emergency care. It is hoped that this extra cash will help to reduce waiting times for urgent or emergency treatment by allowing the hiring of additional staff.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: ‘We are working closely with those health boards experiencing the greatest challenges to ensure the funding delivers the improvements required. Our NHS staff continue to work tirelessly to respond to the pandemic whilst also providing vital non-Covid treatment and safe patient care.
‘Any reductions to service will be short-term to ensure those of most critical need have immediate medical attention.
‘Urgent treatment, including vital cancer treatment, will continue during this challenging period.’