Scabies outbreak at smaller Inverness hosipital prompts NHS Highland warning
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An outbreak of scabies has caused the temporary closure of a ward at a hospital in Inverness.
NHS Highland revealed that a “small number” of patients were affected at the Royal Northern Infirmary (RNI) Community Hospital in Ness Walk.
Infection control measures had to be put in place, but the ward has now reopened.
It is the latest of several similar outbreaks in the NHS Highland area, with the health board asking people to be vigilant in looking out for signs of the contagious skin condition which is caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin.
The spokesman said: “We are seeing occurrences of scabies in the Highland area.
“We would ask that people familiarise themselves with the information on the NHS Inform website and seek appropriate healthcare advice if required.”
The RNI Community Hospital alert follows a scabies outbreak at the city’s Raigmore Hospital in March this year.
Ward 3A was closed to new admissions and monitored on a daily basis before the outbreak was brought under control, leaving families unable to visit loved ones as they recovered from operations.
An outbreak of scabies has caused the temporary closure of a ward at a hospital in Inverness.
The RNI, which is much smaller than the Highlands’ flagship hospital, provides beds for patients who are deemed fit to leave Raigmore but need further care before returning home.
It also provides palliative care for those with a terminal illness who cannot be treated at home.
Symptoms of scabies include intense itching, especially at night, and a raised rash or spots, which often start between the fingers before spreading, potentially across the entire body.
It can take up to eight weeks for the rash or spots to appear from the point of infection.
Only in older people, young children and those with a weak immune system does the condition affect the head and neck, as well as the body.
It is not usually deemed to be a serious condition, but requires treatment by cream or lotion recommended by a pharmacist.
