Update on healthcare services after rise in COVID infections in Fife

Back to list 05/01/2022

Healthcare services in Fife remain under significant strain, as they have for a number of months due to a sustained and notable rise in the number of patients requiring care for both COVID-related and non-COVID related conditions. The widespread circulation of the new, more transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19 has added yet more pressure on services since early December.

NHS Fife announced last month that it would have to retract non-urgent services in order to protect emergency and cancer care, having continued with much of its outpatient and non-urgent surgical programme throughout 2021. As anticipated, there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of people requiring hospital treatment for COVID, particularly amongst those who are not fully vaccinated.

Medical Director, Dr Christopher McKenna, said:

“Our hospitals are currently extremely busy. Not only are our wards very busy, our A&E is very busy, as are the admission areas and our community hospitals.

“Patients are coming into hospital who are extremely unwell with COVID, and many of these patients haven't been fully vaccinated. Some of these patients are young adults, and some of these patients are also pregnant.

“A considerable number of people admitted to hospital in recent weeks for non-COVID related conditions are also being found to be positive for the virus during the initial screening process.

“As always, our staff are going above and beyond to provide patients with the best care possible but that is far from easy, with significant pressures on all areas. We need people in Fife to do all they can to help keep each other safe – that means getting fully vaccinated if you haven’t already. Vaccination is far and away the best means of reducing your risk of becoming seriously unwell due to COVID.

“You can help us by using healthcare services responsibly, particularly our Emergency Department and our GP practices, who are also incredibly busy, and make use of the full range of services available, including your local high street pharmacy.

“January will undoubtedly be an incredibly challenging month for healthcare services in Fife but we will persevere, and with the help of the people of Fife we will get through it.”

In addition to an increasing number of people requiring hospital care after contracting COVID, the ongoing spread of the virus in the Kingdom is also affecting NHS Fife’s workforce with just under 270 staff off work after catching the virus, or having to isolate.

Community hospitals in Fife have seen a sharp rise in the number of inpatients wards affected by COVID and this has necessitated new visiting restrictions in these areas. Only essential visiting is currently being permitted in Fife’s community hospitals, although there are a small number of exemptions to this, such as in learning disability and mental health units and where patients are receiving end-of-life care. Visiting arrangements are the Victoria Hospital are unchanged.

NHS Fife Director of Nursing, Janette Owens, said:

“We know that visiting is extremely important for the wellbeing of those in our care and their loved ones. Throughout the pandemic we have tried to make hospital visiting as flexible as possible, while balancing this against the added risk of COVID-19 being brought into our hospitals.

“There is clear evidence that the new omicron variant is even more transmissible than previous versions of the virus, and despite the stringent cleaning regimes in place, we have still seen a sharp increase in the number of cases of the virus being brought into our community hospitals. Not only does this potentially put vulnerable patients at risk along with the staff caring for them, it also leads to individual bays and indeed whole wards having to be closed at a time when beds are at a premium like never before.

“While transmission of the virus is particularly high, it has been necessary that we temporarily restrict visiting in our community hospitals to essential visits only. This position will remain under continual review and restrictions will be eased as soon as it is safe to do so.”

For more information on hospital visiting in Fife, visit: www.nhsfife.org/visiting.

Vaccination remains the most effective means of reducing the risk of serious illness from the effects of COVID-19. Find out how you can protect yourself by visiting: www.nhsfife.org/vaccination.