On Friday NHS Lothian stopped elective surgery due to staff shortages and rising patient demand. Non-urgent outpatient appointments have also been cancelled to prioritise acute services.
Hours later, NHS Ayrshire and Arran also took the decision to cancel some planned procedures until the end of August.
It came just two days after NHS Borders cancelled all scheduled routine operations until the end of next week due to pressure on services.
NHS Highland stopped orthopaedic procedures earlier this week.
NHS Lothian said that increased levels of staff sickness, combined with holidays and those having to self isolate, led to a “significant reduction” in nurses and midwives in the previous two months. This, along with “unprecedented demand” has caused longer waiting times, particularly in the emergency department. This led to the decision to postpone procedures and allow clinic and theatre staff to be redeployed where they are most needed.
In a bid to ease pressure, workers have been offered more shifts, and about 460 new nurses are due to start in the next two months. Extra administration and domestic support has also been deployed.
Prof Alex McMahon, NHS Lothian’s nurse director, said:
“We are doing everything possible to mitigate the additional pressures we are facing, however we have to be realistic. These challenges will not disappear overnight. We continue to work through appointments that have already been re-scheduled in recent months and to see people who may have delayed seeking treatment because of Covid-19. This will take time. We also continue to be restricted in the number of people we can see each day because of the enhanced infection control measures in place. Covid is still with us.”
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