Special announcement regarding University Hospital Wishaw

The Wishaw area has higher numbers of positive cases than other areas of Lanarkshire and this has been reflected in the number of patients who have been admitted therein.

A number of wards are currently closed to new admissions and transfers and strict control measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection. Point of care testing has been concentrated at University Hospital Wishaw to ensure rapid patient testing on admission.

Heather Knox, NHS Lanarkshire Chief Executive, said: “We are working hard to do everything we can to minimise the level of infection at the hospital.

“To ensure we leave no stone unturned as we work to reduce disruption to patients and services, this will include a thorough review through our clinical review procedure. The review will take an in depth look at infection levels throughout the hospital and identify what more can be done to tackle this.

“For example, we have already identified that not all of the enhanced cleaning processes put in place as a result of the pandemic were still being carried out to the fullest extent at the hospital. This was immediately rectified and we are investigating the reasons for this issue jointly with the external service provider.

“The current infection levels at the hospital serve as a stark reminder of the need for all of us to be vigilant and comply fully with the current Covid guidance. This is all the more important as levels of Covid infections are also high within the communities that University Hospital Wishaw serves.”

“The public can help by making sure they follow the national advice as it can make a massive difference to the number of admissions -by wearing a mask and using a hand sanitizer on the points of arrival and departure.”