
NHS Lanarkshire is to temporarily postpone all non-urgent elective surgeries and a range of outpatient appointments to focus on Covid-19 inpatients and emergency care, as the health board said it only had 46 free beds left.
From Wednesday, the health board said it plans to redeploy nurses to support urgent and emergency care, with the majority of outpatient appointments being delayed.
Treatments for urgent cancer care will remain in place and all three acute sites will continue to operate an emergency service for theatres and diagnostics.
Maternity and neonatal clinics will continue as normal, as well as appointments for urgent referrals, including cancer referrals.
It is expected to last for at least four weeks.
The decision was made after the number of patients being treated in Lanarkshire hospitals with coronavirus is expected to double in the coming weeks.
NHS Lanarkshire is currently treating 288 people for Covid-19, 16 of whom are currently in ICU.
Judith Park, director of acute services for NHS Lanarkshire, said: “The safety of our patients is always our top priority.
“Winter is always a difficult time for the NHS. However, the current pandemic has had an additional impact on our services.
“The hospitals are full and the numbers of Covid-19 admissions are increasing. As such, there are only 46 beds currently available to new patients.
“We currently have nearly 300 patients being treated for Covid-19 in our hospitals, with additional patients currently waiting on test results. However, we are anticipating this number to double within a week, putting our hospitals under severe pressure.
🚑 Due to coronavirus restrictions and pressures, we are asking people to phone 111 before attending A&E with a non life-threatening condition. You will be directed to the right service, which includes A&E.https://t.co/hxO7wFf7zg pic.twitter.com/bpIceANw7w
— NHS Lanarkshire (@NHSLanarkshire) January 11, 2021
“To ensure our services operate as safely as possible, we have taken the decision to cancel non-urgent outpatient appointments and planned procedures from today at all our acute sites.
“The decision to cancel any appointment is not one that we take lightly and I apologise for the impact this will have on patients. Most patients will receive a text message confirming the cancellation of their appointment.
“A small number of appointments will still go ahead as scheduled. Appointments will be prioritised based on clinical need and those patients who are deemed clinically urgent will be rebooked. Patients will receive a letter, text message or voice message giving details of their new appointment.”
It is expected that some community and primary care services, including some GP practice services, will also need to be paused to cope with the number of Covid-19 patients. Details will be shared once any changes are confirmed.
Ms Park added: “Our staff are battling to save lives every day and I am immensely proud of them. Every single Lanarkshire resident can help save lives by following Government guidance and staying at home.”
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Donald Cameron said: “As we see Covid cases and hospital admissions continuing to rise, the SNP Government must urgently equip our health boards with every resource they require.
“Our heroic frontline healthcare workers are at breaking point and need to be supported as hospitals see no let-up in patients entering as a result of Covid.
“While everyone understands the extreme pressures hospitals are under, SNP ministers cannot allow more patients to miss out on planned operations and procedures, wherever they can possibly be carried out.”

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