Hospitals in Lanarkshire are at maximum capacity and facing unprecedented pressure amid spiralling Covid cases.  

Health board chiefs have declared a code 'black' situation, the highest risk level, and have been forced cancel some procedures, including cancer operations.  

The area's three hospitals (Monklands, Hairmyers and Wishaw) are in critical condition with the army drafted in to support the hubs as they wrestle with staff and bed shortages.

Laura Ace, strategic commander and deputy chief executive, said: “NHS Lanarkshire is currently at critical occupancy levels across its three acute hospitals.

“The sustained pressure continues across our three acute hospitals and is showing no signs of easing.  We are facing relentless pressures, bed shortages and staff shortages due to sickness, stress and self-isolation and University hospitals Hairmyres, Monklands and Wishaw are all at maximum capacity

“The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority and we are working through short and medium term actions to increase staffing and also improve the flow of patients out of hospital. The military are providing additional support within our hospitals.

“We took the decision at the end of August to temporarily postpone the majority of non-urgent planned care procedures and, unfortunately, the current pressures mean we are having to further stand down elective (planned) procedures including some cancer procedures, which we will reschedule as soon as possible.

“The current situation is unprecedented and marks a different level of risk for NHS Lanarkshire as a whole and moves our current status to the highest level of risk. 

“We issued a message on social media this week warning patients to expect long waits at A&E as they are overwhelmed by the number patients attending and needing admitted. This means patients are having to wait much longer to be seen that we would like, and well in excess of our target of four hours. A high number of these patients need to be admitted which is causing severe pressures throughout our hospitals.

“To help free up hospital beds, we have also asked for any assistance from family members to allow us to discharge people home or to interim care placements as soon as possible." 

Cases across North and South Lanarkshire have continued to rise in recent weeks with staff struggling to cope amid increased demand. 

Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader and Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: “This astonishing move puts it beyond doubt that we are in the midst of a full-blown NHS crisis.

“It is a damning indictment of the SNP’s recovery plan that risk levels in Lanarkshire are now higher than they were when Covid was at its peak.

Glasgow Times: Jackie Baillie Jackie Baillie

“Staff are working tirelessly to do right by patients, but services are simply stretched past breaking point.

“It is a national scandal that cancer operations are being cancelled when we are already playing catch-up and it is frankly terrifying that we have reached this point before winter has hit."