People urged to only attend Emergency Department in emergency situations

Local people are being urged to only come to the Emergency Department at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway in genuine emergencies, as the Department is currently extremely busy.

NHS Western Isles Emergency Department Manager, Susan Macaulay, said: “We are seeing unprecedented numbers of sick people and our hospital is very busy indeed. Therefore we would ask those with a condition that is not urgent or life threatening to contact their GP, local pharmacist or call NHS 24 – 111.

“We have an excellent track record in delivering the A&E standard and working closely with our partners to ensure people receive the right health care in the right setting.

“As we are so very busy at the moment, patients coming to the Emergency Department who do not need emergency care are likely to be in for a long wait, which is not ideal for our patients, or they will be redirected to a more appropriate service. To enable us to give the best care to the patients who are very sick, we would urge that people only attend in emergency circumstances.”

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