Patients asked to help keep numbers down at busy Borders General Hospital emergency department

NHS Borders says that the accident and emergency department at the Melrose hospital is experiencing a very busy couple of days, and is urging those who can attend alone to do so.

A spokeswoman said: “The emergency department at the BGH remains very busy.

“We are attending to patients as soon as we can however you may have to wait longer than you would normally expect; and patients will be treated according to clinical priority.

“If you are able to come to the department alone please do so. The waiting room currently has limited capacity due to physical distancing measures, so this will allow us to keep as much space free as possible for patients.

“Once you have been triaged we may ask you to return to your vehicle to wait if it is safe for you to do so.

“We are working really hard to manage the flow of patients through the department as efficiently as we can and your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated.”

Anyone showing symptons of coronavirus should not attend the hostpial but instead call NHS 24 on 111.