MSP claims NHS Lanarkshire has gone 'beyond Code Black' to cope with pressure

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Scots health board has gone “beyond Code Black” to cope with more pressure than at any point in their history.NHS Lanarkshire has already been forced to call in the Army to help out in its hospitals, where rising COVID infections and staff absences have caused a crisis.

But yesterday the health board instructed its GPs to move to a “managed suspension of services” to focus only on the most urgent care.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Last night Labour’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie warned Scotland was in the midst of a “historic crisis as NHS Lanarkshire is forced to go beyond Code Black measures to cope with the pressure.”The health board escalated services to risk level black – the highest level – in October 2021 but with the situation deteriorating further they have been forced to brief staff on their “Never Services” protocol.Yesterday the health board confirmed a new set of emergency measures including pausing or reducing all but the essential services to allow for the reallocation of staff and resources.Ms Baillie said: “It is beyond a shadow of doubt that our NHS is in the midst of a historic crisis.

This unprecedented move reveals how dangerous the situation really is. Not long ago escalating to risk level black was almost unheard of but now not even that is enough.”In a briefing