A health chief has praised the public for their reaction to an appeal to help patients get back home from hospital.
The region’s communities were urged to take action and support the NHS as it emerged the board was facing its “greatest pressures in living memory”.
Families and loved ones of in-patients were asked to help boost their speedy discharge back home.
Chief operating Officer, Julie White, said: “We’re very grateful to everyone for the responses we’ve seen after we highlighted the very serious pressures being felt right across health and social care in Dumfries and Galloway.
“Even just being aware of the pressures and being prepared for and understanding our current limitations is of help and appreciated.”
Staffing pressures are among the problems facing the board.
Ms White said: “As we noted, staffing pressures are a fundamental aspect of the current pressures right across our system.
“Although we have sizable numbers of people needing treatment in hospital, we simultaneously have seen significant increases in the number and complexity of people who require support to remain in their own homes and to return home from hospital.
“Recruitment challenges are limiting our ability to meet this increased need.
“As a consequence, you will hopefully be aware of the concentrated and ongoing recruitment activity aimed at bolstering our care at home services – supported by the increase in pay for this sector announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social
Care.
“Huge credit and appreciation needs to be voiced for the many thousands of unpaid carers in our region, as without them our health and social care systems would simply not be able to function.
“The pandemic has led to an increasing number of people becoming carers as well as adding to the huge impact that caring has on those who were already caring.”
Mountainhall Treatment Centre will now be used to support the flow of patients out of Dumfries Infirmary, with staff being deployed to where they can help people to safely return to their homes as soon as possible.
Mrs White added: “The bottom line is that this is about people. It’s about increases in the number of people in our region who need treatment and support, as our population continues to age.
“And it’s about how everyone accesses health and social care, how we maximise the existing resources, and how we help look after ourselves and each other to try and make certain that our systems work to ensure everyone gets the right level of care, in the right place, at the right time.”
