NHS Borders operations may need to be cancelled

The public is being asked to avoid the hospital's emergency department

Some operations may need to be cancelled in the NHS Borders region in the following days because of a shortage of available hospital beds.

The health board is asking people to avoid Borders General Hospital's emergency department unless they are in a life-threatening condition.

All wards at the hospital are being described as under "extreme pressure".

NHS Borders said that people attending should expect to wait longer than usual.

And it warned that scheduled surgery may have to be cancelled at short notice.

In a statement it said: "The situation remains under constant review. We are working hard to minimise disruption however, there may be times where we need to cancel scheduled operations at short notice to maintain patient and staff safety.

"Taking these decisions is not easy but it can be necessary to make sure that we are able to continue vital services during challenging times."

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This comes after it was recently reported that Scotland's winter death toll last year was the highest for more than 30 years.

Figures from National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed there were 24,427 deaths registered between December 2022 and March 2023 - 11% more than the previous winter and the highest since 1989-90.

Health Secretary Michael Matheson said the country faced "extremely challenging" months ahead.

The minister announced at Holyrood an additional £50m in funding for the Scottish Ambulance Service to help deal with increased demand, as well as plans to expand Hospital at Home care.

NHS Borders said people in need of medical attention should use the NHS 24 helpline on 111 as an alternative, or call 999 if their condition is immediately life-threatening.

By phoning NHS 24, if they require treatment, patients may be given an appointment time to minimise the time spent in A&E.

"Please remember that our staff are working as hard as they can and you will be seen according to clinical priority. Please be patient and polite," they added.

"We are sorry to all of our patients for any disruption to their care and appreciate how frustrating this can be."