NHS Forth Valley is now implementing plans to increase our capacity and free up clinical staff to provide care and treatment for patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) who may require to be admitted to hospital.

This will include increasing the number of ICU beds and providing training to enable additional staff to care for patients with serious respiratory illnesses who may require ventilation.

As part of ongoing preparations for coronavirus (COVID-19) across NHS Scotland, we are also scaling back non-urgent appointments and operations. Any patients affected will be contacted direct and arrangements will be made to reschedule appointments as soon as this is possible. Vital cancer treatments, emergency, maternity, neonatal and urgent care will continue to be provided.

This follows the recent announcement by the Scottish Government that all non-urgent elective care will be postponed to free up capacity in hospitals across Scotland for at least the next three months.

Andrew Murray, Medical Director, NHS Forth Valley, said: “We apologise for the impact this will have on local patients and appreciate your understanding and continued support during this challenging time.”

Additional Information

The latest information and advice on coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found on www.nhsinform.scot. A free helpline has also been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general coronavirus (COVID-19) health advice 0800 028 2816. The helpline is open: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 10.00pm Saturday and Sunday, 8.00am to 6.00pm.