All planned non-emergency surgery is being postponed in Ayrshire and Arran as the region’s hospitals try to deal with an influx of covid-19 patients.

It is the third health board to do so after a similar decision was made by NHS Dumfries & Galloway last week and NHS Lanarkshire yesterday.

As of yesterday there were just under 200 people in hospital with covid-19 in Ayrshire & Arran, the third highest figure in Scotland and above the board’s planned winter covid-19 capacity. This includes ten people in intensive care.

A “sustained rise” in covid cases led the local health board to its decision, which will affect procedures such as cataracts and hip and knee replacements.

Emergency surgery will still be carried out, while some planned cancer surgery will continue “where possible".

NHS Lanarkshire, which is treating 288 people with the virus, warned that it had just 46 beds left for new patients and that covid-19 patient numbers were set to double in the coming weeks.

Announcing the decision in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Medical Director Dr Crawford McGuffie said: “This phase of the pandemic is having the greatest impact on our communities in terms of positive cases, numbers admitted to hospital and sadly deaths.

“This is placing great strain on every aspect of the system.

“To ensure that we are able to provide care to the most urgent cases, emergency surgery will still go ahead, and where possible, planned cancer surgeries will also take place.

“Our clinical staff will liaise closely with patients who are impacted and we very much appreciate the understanding of members of the public in these challenging times.”

Senior clinicians are to assess emergency and planned cancer surgeries on a case-by-case basis, and some may go ahead in a different location to that previously planned.

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