Hospital experiencing increase in Covid patient admissions

A hospital in North Lanarkshire says it is experiencing an increase in the number of patients being admitted with Covid-19.

A number of wards are closed at University Hospital in Wishaw, which has seen a higher number of positive cases than other areas of Lanarkshire.

Officials say those case numbers are now being replicated by the number of people being admitted to hospital with the virus.

Point of care testing has been concentrated at University Hospital Wishaw to ensure rapid patient testing on admission.

Heather Knox, NHS Lanarkshire chief executive, said a thorough review is taking place into infection levels throughout the hospital to identify what more can be done to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

She said: “We are working hard to do everything we can to minimise the level of infection at the hospital.

“For example, we have already identified that not all of the enhanced cleaning processes put in place as a result of the pandemic were still being carried out to the fullest extent at the hospital.

“This was immediately rectified and we are investigating the reasons for this issue jointly with the external service provider.

“The current infection levels at the hospital serve as a stark reminder of the need for all of us to be vigilant and comply fully with the current Covid guidance. This is all the more important as levels of Covid infections are also high within the communities that University Hospital Wishaw serves.”

Meanwhile, NHS Tayside is also beginning to see additional pressures on its services and has launched its annual winter plan.

Chief executive Grant Archibald said: “There has been a huge amount of work undertaken by teams from across the whole system over a significant period of time to look at what we have learnt already from Covid-19, what the data is now telling us and anticipate as best we can what this unprecedented winter may have in store for us.

“The teams have prepared meticulously and we are now asking members of the public to help us and play their part to support our health services over the winter by knowing where to get the right care in the right place and sticking with the national guidance around travel and household mixing.

“We know it is disappointing that people can’t celebrate the festive season the way they may have hoped but I would appeal to the people of Tayside to please stick with it and help us get through this next phase of the pandemic together.”