Bed occupancy still ‘very high’ at hospital despite ‘slight’ improvement

The Gilbert Bain Hospital remains under pressure despite recent improvements, the health board has said.

NHS Shetland provided provided a service update last night (Tuesday) following warnings earlier this month that “extreme pressures” could force procedures to be cancelled.

“Although the situation in the hospital has slightly improved, our system remains busy,” the health board saod.

“We are continuing to monitor the situation daily to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our patients.

“While all surgical procedures have gone ahead as planned, we are carefully assessing our capacity to safely maintain the planned schedule, as bed occupancy remains high. “

The health board has offered reassurances that all clinically urgent procedures will continue as planned and it was committed to minimising cancellations wherever possible.

“We fully understand the impact any changes may have on affected patients, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time,” it added.

“If your procedure is affected in any way, we will contact you directly as soon as possible to provide guidance and support.”

Meanwhile. Lerwick GP practice has announced that its service remained under “severe pressure”.

“This might impact the time you wait to be seen for routine issues,” it said.