First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has chaired a gathering of the Scottish Government resilience committee (SGoRR) to debate the response to ongoing winter pressures on the well being and social care system.

In addition to the FM, the assembly at present was attended by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, different Cabinet ministers, and key companions from throughout the system together with senior representatives from NHS Boards, COSLA, Integration Joint Boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The newest scenario with flu and COVID-19 infections was coated, together with the elevated calls for on acute websites and social care which have been skilled over the Christmas and New Year interval.

Quite a lot of measures are being taken to alleviate pressures on the system, enhance affected person stream and guarantee individuals obtain the correct care in the correct setting. These embody using Flow Navigation Centres as a part of the redesign of pressing care, Hospital at Home and ambulance service employees offering remedy, the place applicable, to assist keep away from hospital admission.

The Health Secretary will replace parliament on the earliest alternative on ongoing work to assist the system, and additional resilience conferences might be held to observe the scenario within the coming days and weeks as required.

The First Minister stated:

“It is obvious that well being and social care is at the moment experiencing a interval of intense and certainly unprecedented stress. Staff are working exceptionally laborious and have been doing so all through the Christmas and New Year interval. This comes after almost three years of pandemic-related calls for on the system, and we’re all extremely grateful to them for his or her efforts.

“I’m clear that the Scottish Government should and can do every thing it could possibly to assist our well being and care service all through the following few weeks. We stay in each day contact with Health Boards and there may be already an enormous quantity of labor being executed, however we are going to go away no stone unturned to discover and implement any extra measures that may very well be taken to assist alleviate pressures. With that in thoughts we are going to proceed to work with all companions to implement actions that may assist make sure the workforce is supported to ship the excessive requirements of care that we would like everybody to obtain.

“This will include actions to reduce unnecessary attendances at A&E – ensuring people get care in more appropriate settings, and those who need hospital care get it quickly, and also on effective discharge arrangements to reduce pressure on hospital occupancy. My thanks go to all those working incredibly hard across the whole health and care system during this period of exceptional pressure.”