All elective surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) has been suspended.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has confirmed that all non-urgent operations will be halted at the Paisley hospital as pressure on emergency services continues to mount.
The health board said it would, however, prioritise treatment for cancer patients and other urgent procedures.
Bosses at the hospital told the Paisley Daily Express how the RAH had been inundated with patients suffering from flu, Covid-19 and norovirus cases.
Apologising to patients affected, they said the situation remains under “constant review”.
A spokesman said: “We would like to thank staff across all of our services for their continued hard work and commitment in these challenging times.
“Our services, like the whole of NHS Scotland, are facing major pressures, including significant covid, flu and norovirus cases, and our staff are doing all they can to meet this demand.
“To support our A&E departments, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has taken the decision to pause non-urgent elective procedures to prioritise urgent treatment and cancer care.
“We would like to apologise to patients waiting for an elective procedure, we will make every possible effort to offer them an alternative date at the first opportunity.
“NHSGGC has also recently opened up additional winter capacity to provide more beds, with more to open in the coming weeks, and we are rolling out a new patient flow model to help improve movement through our hospitals.”
He added: “We are reminding all patients at this time not to attend A&E unless their condition is very urgent or life-threatening.
“Patients should consider utilising one of our other unscheduled care pathways instead such as local pharmacy, GPs, NHS Inform, or our virtual A&E service.”
Accessed via NHS24, the virtual A&E service provides emergency consultations over the phone, and through video, and allows staff to schedule face-to-face appointments at minor injury units (MIU).
MIUs can treat a host of problems such as cuts and wounds, broken bones, burns or scalds and some minor head injuries. Call NHS24 by dialling 111.
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