LATEST: Spike in patients at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness causing delays in admission times
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Patients are still being asked to avoid attending Raigmore Hospital if at all possible due to increased demand in admissions.
The plea was originally made yesterday because a significant increase in numbers had a knock-on effect by delaying admission times.
A spokeswoman for NHS Highland today confirmed there was still an increased number of patients and urged people to access more suitable services such as their GP, local pharmacy or NHS 24 if appropriate.
She added: "There is no one specific illness we can attribute this too – what we have seen is a lot of emergency cases and a lot of GP referrals and they've hit at the same time."
Staff at the hospital are doing all they can to discharge patients who were well enough to leave as quickly as possible, but residents were also urged to help by avoiding visiting the hospital – particularly if they had symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting or flu.
During this time priority is being given to the sickest patients and anyone arriving with less serious conditions is likely to face a longer wait for admission.
The spokeswoman said: "Instead, they should consider contacting their GP or pharmacist, or go to their local minor injury unit (MIU). MIUs provide excellent care for a range of less serious injuries and conditions.
"Our staff are working incredibly hard to provide the best care possible to those that need our help the most."
The NHS frontline is usually under increased pressure over the winter period as demand for services tends to increase significantly with the onset of cold weather and flu.
Related article: WARNING: NHS Highland issues alert about Raigmore Hospital in Inverness being 'very busy'
