Royal Edinburgh Hospital turning patients away due to overcrowding and staffing issues

The hospital turned patients away for days due to overcrowding amid reports of staffing issues.

Patients at Edinburgh’s specialist psychiatric hospital were forced to sleep on floors due to overcrowding and staffing issues, it has been claimed.

It comes after the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, which is one of the country’s biggest psychiatric facilities, closed its doors to new admissions amid warnings that it’s ‘grossly understaffed’. Health bosses confirmed the hospital closed its doors to new admissions on Wednesday and reopened at the weekend - turning patients away for four days. It has sparked warnings over patient care.

One source at the hospital told the Evening News: “It’s been running over capacity for some time with sitting rooms turned into bedrooms and mattresses on the floor in interview rooms which clearly has implications for the safety of staff and patients.

The Royal Edinburgh Hospital is facing overcrowding and staffing issues, it has been claimed. Picture: Google Maps

“The hospital is grossly understaffed and regularly uses agency nurses. The trained nurses supplied by the agencies largely don’t have access to the hospital computer systems . so are often left in charge of wards despite being unable to read or make entries on patients’ notes or dispense medications.”

Unison denied claims that patients were forced to sleep on the floor. But regional organiser John Hackett said patient care was at risk due to staffing problems. He said: "Staff are being worked off their feet trying to provide the best services they can, but it is proving to be more and more difficult. There are just too few nurses to be able to do the job properly and staff are struggling to provide patients with the care they deserve.

"The failure to address the staffing crisis and tackle agency costs does lower the quality of care. I don’t believe there is an immediate risk at Royal Edinburgh. But when patients are being sent elsewhere, it got so bad a contingency plan had to be triggered. If it that continues to happen that it should ring massive alarm bells, we see it happening more often now where there’s just enough space but not enough staff.”

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: "Mental health services in Edinburgh are in crisis. The serious over capacity issues at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital are deeply worrying. A lack of beds and staffing shortages have led to patients having to sleep in treatment rooms, breakout areas and on the floor. Ultimately the Royal Edinburgh Hospital had to close to new admissions. This is clearly an unacceptable situation for vulnerable patients and for staff who are being forced into very difficult situations. I want reassurances from Ministers that progress will be made."

Dr Tracey Gillies, medical director at NHS Lothian, said: "NHS Lothian took the decision at a meeting which was made up of the health board and Lothian's four local health and social care partnerships. Scottish government, Scottish Ambulance Service and Police Scotland were all informed and admissions were managed in the mental health wards in St John's Hospital in Livingston. Health and social care partnerships are working to create more capacity in the community to allow more patients to be discharged safely to help restore flow throughout the hospital. Teams are continuing to provide safe and effective care."

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