A health board is calling for family members to care for relatives who need to be discharged from hospital as it reaches “maximum capacity”. 

NHS Lanarkshire says it is working to improve the flow of patients of the hospital and has asked for ‘any assistance from family members to allow us to discharge people home or to interim care placements as soon as possible’.

Planned cancer procedures have been cancelled as a result of the pressure, which has led to the board requesting support from the military.

NHS Lanarkshire’s Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Commander Laura Ace said: “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 health board has confirmed it has moved to level black, the highest risk category, following an email to staff publicised by Scottish Labour.

Ms Ace said A&E services were “overwhelmed” and said high numbers of patients needed to be admitted from the emergency department.

Around six in ten patients waited more than four hours to be seen and then admitted, transferred or discharged in the first week of October, the most recent for which figures are available.

She added: “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.

“We know the impact of the current pressures are being felt right across the health and social care system, including GP practices which remain extremely busy.”

Earlier this month the Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf announced measures to improve flow of patients through hospital ahead of winter.

This includes £40m for ‘step-down’ care for patients leaving hospital, £60m to increase capacity in care at home and a further £20m to fund social work assessments.

Mr Yousaf said the measures would “help patients whose discharge has been delayed waiting for care and help get them out of hospital and on to the next stage in their care”.

He added: “This helps the individual by getting them the right care, and helps the wider system by ensuring the hospital capacity is being used by those who need that specialist level of clinical care.”

Read more: Hospital sets record low for four-hour A&E target; Adults with incapacity face longest discharge delays; Delayed discharges return to pre-pandemic levels

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