THE Emergency Department at the Borders General Hospital is exceptionally busy today, (Thursday February 2 2023) with a number of people requiring admission.

This is impacting the length of time that patients are waiting.

NHS Borders say that if you have a minor injury or urgent health problem which isn't life-threatening, please call NHS 24 on 111 first and they will signpost you to the right place to get the advice or care that you need.

You may need to wait a while for your call to be answered or for a member of the team to call you back, but this can be done in the comfort of your own home.

If you do need to be seen you may be given an appointment time to minimise the time you need to spend in the department.

This also reduces pressure on our team.

If you think that your condition is immediately life-threatening you should call 999.

If you do require urgent medical care at the ED, please be patient and treat our staff with respect and be kind.