Covid in Scotland: Health boards warn of 'significant' pressure on services

Two Scottish health boards have warned of "significant" pressure from rising Covid cases and staff shortages.

Ayrshire & Arran health board has temporarily paused all non-emergency surgery amid "unprecedented demand" caused by the pandemic.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it continued to prioritise emergency, trauma and cancer care alongside increasing Covid admissions.

There are 833 patients currently in hospital with Covid across Scotland.

That is the highest figure since February, although still less than half the number of the January peak.

Covid case numbers continue to rise, with the latest government figures showing a further 5,810 people tested positive in the past 24 hours.

BBC Scotland has also learned that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has held discussions with the Scottish government about the impact of major events.

Glasgow is due to host the TRNSMT music festival this weekend, as well as a number of Scottish Premiership football matches over the coming weeks.

It comes as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was "cause for optimism" despite the latest surge in cases.

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that "the rate of increase has slowed".

She said: "We continue to hope - and recent data gives us a bit more of a solid basis for this - we can turn the corner through continued care and caution and stringent compliance with existing mitigations and without having to reintroduce any tighter restrictions."

Last month, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf warned the NHS was facing a "perfect storm" of pressure.

It followed the number of new Covid cases reported in Scotland hitting a record daily high of 7,113.

Health board officials said it had been a constant battle to maintain services - and again urged people only to turn up at A&E if they genuinely needed emergency treatment.

Prof Hazel Borland, interim chief executive of NHS Ayrshire & Arran, said the pressure was being felt "right across acute services, and primary and community care".

She added: "We have, therefore, taken the very difficult decision again to temporarily suspend some planned services in order to redeploy staff to cover emergency care.

"We have temporarily paused elective surgery until the end of September. This is so that we can maintain cancer surgery and cancer diagnostic procedures.

"We have also temporarily paused some outpatient services, so that we can maintain urgent appointments and assessments related to potential cancer diagnoses."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had previously said it was facing mounting pressure from increased cases while maintaining enhanced infection control precautions.

An updated statement from the board said: "We recognise the strain this has put on both staff and services and will support both as much as possible.

"We would urge everyone to remember that our partner GP surgeries across the board area are open, and continue to provide great care for their communities.

"If patients have a concern or a condition for which they would normally contact your GP, please continue to do so."