Covid in Scotland: NHS staff 'facing perfect storm'

Scotland's NHS is "facing a perfect storm" as staff shortages and a lack of hospital beds hamper efforts to tackle rising
numbers of coronavirus cases, according to a leading physician.

Prof Jackie Taylor said a "coherent strategy" for testing staff and all hospital patients was needed.

She also called for more flexibility for under-pressure services to be able to reduce non-urgent procedures.

The Scottish government said plans were in place to deal with peak demand.

Prof Taylor, who is president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, told BBC Scotland there
needed to be "an open and transparent conversation about prioritisation of work" as winter approached.

Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily briefing on Tuesday that there were some "encouraging signs" that coronavirus
was coming back under control in Scotland.

The first minister said measures around home visits and hospitality taken in September and October appear to be
bearing fruit, with the rate of increase in new cases slowing in recent weeks.

The latest 24-hour period saw another 999 positive cases recorded, while the number of hospital patients with
a confirmed case of Covid-19 rose by 29 to 1,254, with 92 being treated in intensive care.

Prof Taylor acknowledged there were "some green shoots which tell us the number of new cases is plateauing"
but underlined that the total number of people requiring hospital treatment "has not yet begun to plateau".

"Speaking to colleagues across the central belt in particular and the health boards which have the highest number
of cases, we really feel as though we are facing a perfect storm," she said.

"Let's remember the rate of increase may be less steep but at present the number of cases day-on-day are still
rising. So we have a significant number of cases, we have a shortage of beds and we have significant staff
shortages because of illness and staff isolating.

"Obviously winter is always busier, and we are facing those months now. We are still trying to maintain some
elective and other urgent and non-urgent work as well, so it really is a perfect storm."

She added: "My colleagues at the frontline are certainly facing absolutely enormous challenges."

The Scottish government will assess progress on the spread of the virus ahead of a scheduled review point next
Tuesday before deciding on any changes to restrictions.

"Clearly we do need to reduce community transmissions," Prof Taylor said. "All the efforts being made in that
regard are absolutely right and we need people to stick with 100% of the guidelines 100% of the time.

"We also need permission, where services are becoming exceptionally challenged, to be able to flex the amount
of elective and non-urgent work. That will be different across Scotland but certainly services under pressure
need to be given permission to reduce some of those procedures and operations."

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Отредактировано lily9889 (2020-11-04 07:23:33)