Health / Operations could be cancelled as NHS warns of continued ‘pressures’ at hospital
THE GILBERT Bain Hospital “continues to be busy”, with NHS Shetland “carefully monitoring the situation” at the capacity stretched facility.
The health board said there was the “possibility of cancellations” of scheduled surgical procedures as a result of the “current pressures” on the service.
It said it would assess these on a case-by-case basis.
A combination of patients with “longer than expected stays”, limited availability of community beds and staff illness across several settings have combined to leave NHS Shetland struggling.
“We fully recognise the inconvenience that any changes to your scheduled procedure may cause,” NHS Shetland said.
“Please know that we are working hard to minimise disruptions to ensure the best possible care.
“If your procedure is impacted in any way, we will contact you directly as soon as possible with further instructions and support.”
There has been difficulties across health services since mid-February as a result of staff sickness and extended patient stays at the hospital.
Delayed discharges, where people are waiting to move out of hospital wards to more appropriate settings, is currently at a high level in Shetland.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
