Hospital battles against capacity issues and COVID outbreak

Procedures have been postponed and visiting curtailed amid capacity issues and a COVID-19 outbreak at The Balfour.

All day case procedures have been cancelled up until Thursday, as the hospital continues to face “unprecedented pressures” on its inpatient services.

NHS Orkney confirmed last Thursday that the hospital had reached “red level” for capacity.

With this situation ongoing, the health authority believes that postponing these procedures will free up additional bed space, allowing for further admissions.

In addition to these challenges, a COVID has been identified within Inpatients Two (IP2). This ward will now be restricted to essential visiting only. This does not affect visiting for palliative or end of life care. NHS Orkney has also implemented additional measures including enhanced cleaning.

The health authority is asking all visitors to please ensure they follow guidance from ward staff throughout their visit, especially when in patient rooms. As always, visitors are asked not to attend if they are unwell or experiencing any symptoms of infection, such as, flu like symptoms, a cough, or diarrhoea.

Sam Thomas, director of nursing, midwifery, allied health professionals and acute services said: “We have had to make the difficult decision to postpone day case procedures until the end of the day on Thursday.

“We do not make these decisions lightly but in order to ensure we can provide inpatient and emergency care to those who attend The Balfour, we have postponed procedures.

“I am aware that any news of postponed procedures can be upsetting and disappointing and to apologise for the inconvenience this has caused. We will be looking to reschedule your procedures as soon as we can. We are currently working our way through our patient list and will be in touch with you if this affects your appointment.

“In the meantime, I’d like to thank you all for your understanding as we work together to navigate the pressures we currently face.”

If you have a health concern that does not require urgent treatment but cannot wait until your GP or Pharmacy reopens, NHS Orkney asks that you make use of NHS 24 by calling 111 or using the NHS24 app.

You can also access information and advice on NHS Inform website www.nhsinform.scot. This will help you decide which is the best service for  you to access.

If you are acutely unwell, call 999 or attend the Emergency Department. If you attend the emergency department but do not require urgent care, you will be redirected to a more appropriate service for your need or may face a longer wait.