Military drafted in to under-pressure NHS boards in Scotland

The military will be drafted in to hospitals in Lanarkshire and the Borders to relieve pressure ahead of the winter.

A total of 86 personnel will be deployed - 63 to NHS Lanarkshire and 23 to NHS Borders - ranging from nurses, medics, general troops and drivers.

Support personnel will be from the navy but the medically qualified staff will be from the Army.

All will be working in areas like accident and emergency.

It follows a request for assistance from the Scottish government.

The British Medical Association (Scotland) has called on politicians to "be honest" about what the NHS can deliver now and over winter.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said the health service was experiencing "significant pressure" because of Covid admissions and a backlog in care built up over the course of the pandemic.

"In the NHS Borders and NHS Lanarkshire areas, staff shortages because of Covid-19 are affecting bed capacity," he added.

"With increasing levels of social mixing and close social contact it is expected that this winter Covid-19 will circulate alongside respiratory viruses, such as flu, adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS.

"This military support will allow both boards to support existing staff to reduce waiting times, enhance care and provide a better experience for our patients."

NHS Lanarkshire will receive three nurses, 45 medics, 12 general troops and three drivers, while 14 medics, two nurses, one driver and four additional personnel will be sent to NHS Borders.

A further two military medics will oversee the operation from the army's headquarters in Scotland.

Personnel are due to start work on 19 October and continue until 10 November, though the Scottish government said this would be kept under "constant review".

Judith Park, NHS Lanarkshire's director of acute services, said all three hospitals in the health board - Monklands, Hairmyres and Wishaw - would be supported.

She said: "Staff shortages because of Covid-19 are affecting bed capacity and the approval of temporary military assistance on our hospital sites is very welcome over the next few weeks as we begin to see winter illnesses circulate alongside Covid adding to the pressures we face."

The request for support comes after soldiers were brought in to support the Scottish Ambulance Service in September.

At the time Nicola Sturgeon said health services were dealing with the most challenging combination of circumstances in their history due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The military also provided advice on the construction of the NHS Louisa Jordan field hospital in Glasgow and set up and ran testing programmes as well as vaccination centres across Scotland.

Health services in all UK nations have received support from the armed forces in recent months.

Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack said he was glad they were able to step in again.

He added: "Nearly 90 army medical personnel and support staff will be working at the front line of Scotland's NHS. We are grateful for all their efforts to keep us safe."

However senior doctors have said while military help is welcomed, it will be a short term measure and will "barely scratch the surface" of providing the staff that is needed.

Dr Lewis Morrison, chair of BMA Scotland, said: "It demonstrates that things are on a knife edge in the areas where this is happening - but there are many other places where staff are spread incredibly thinly and close to if not at the same level of pressure.

"We need politicians on all sides to be honest with the public about what the NHS can deliver right now and over this expected long winter.

"Each passing week and story of a service in crisis underlines the urgent need for a clear workforce plan to address those huge short, medium and long term staffing issues and a plan that focuses firstly and squarely on caring for and retaining the staff we have because recruiting extra people takes time."

The Scottish Conservative's health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane called the Mr Yousaf's winter plan "belated" and said the effects were being "keenly felt" by staff.

He said: "We aren't even into the peak winter period, yet my colleagues on the frontline are already well beyond breaking point.

"He must now urgently guarantee the support from our military will be maximised at every turn for these health boards. Otherwise a truly terrible winter in our NHS is set to occur on his watch."

Both the Borders and Lanarkshire health boards have already halted all non-urgent procedures.

Last month the medical director of NHS Borders urged the public to "be kind" to staff facing "unprecedented challenges".

Dr Lynn McCallum said they were busier than in the "busiest winter".