NHS Grampian plea to public amid surge in Covid-19 patient admissions
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NHS Grampian is calling for public support to help lift the pressure facing medics amid a surge of Covid-19 patients admitted to the region's hospitals this week.
The number of Covid-19 patients in Grampian has surged by more than 40 per cent in one week.
There are currently around 50 patients with the virus in hospital in the region, with around 10 in intensive care.
The volume of admissions follows weeks of rocketing infection rates in the region and NHS Grampian says this is seriously impacting patient capacity.
Consultant Hugh Bishop issued a plea to the public. He said: "The support we need from the public is four-fold.
"Firstly, if you haven’t done already, go and get vaccinated if you are eligible and able to. Not getting vaccinated might well be the reason you end up in intensive care, posing a risk to your health and your life, and if your admission could have been avoided by being vaccinated, you are potentially taking away a bed or resource from a patient for whom vaccination has not been effective, an emergency trauma admission or a cancer patient and putting extra pressure on our system.
"Thanks to the vaccine we are seeing a smaller percentage of those infected needing hospital treatment and vastly fewer deaths. However, with cases at current levels, a small percentage of a big number is a big number still being admitted.
"Secondly, Stop the Spike. Covid-19 cases are increasing rapidly and we can’t afford to let it run rampant. We need to get it back under control. So please, stick to guidelines. Don’t see all your friends or family at once, and where you can, meet people outdoors. In shops and other settings where it is advised, wear a face covering. On top of that take a LFD test twice a week to help stop the spread.
"Thirdly, phone 111 before attending at the Emergency Department or a Minor Injury Unit, unless you find yourself in a life-threatening situation – for example, a suspected heart attack or stroke, in which case phone 999. This allows us to manage flow through the hospital better and reduce waiting times.
"Lastly, if you have a friend or relative that is in hospital and is ready for discharge, please, please come and get them as soon as possible. We see a huge number of discharges at around 6pm every night, as people come to collect their loved ones after their work.
"We need people to collect their loved ones as early as possible. It helps us increase capacity in the hospital and free up beds."
