The Borders General Hospital is at maximum capacity as a result of 'extreme pressures'. 

All beds are full at the Melrose hospital, situated just north of Hawick, with the A&E department also reporting that it is 'exceptionally busy' with an increased number of people requiring attention. 

Chief executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Roberts, said: "Due to extreme pressures the Borders General Hospital is at capacity. Our beds are full and our Emergency Department is exceptionally busy, with a number of people requiring admission.

"This is a very challenging situation and our staff are working round the clock to care for their patients.

"Our surge capacity plans are in place and we can assure you that we are doing everything we can to make beds available as soon as we can," he said. 

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Staff are urging the public to contact NHS24 before turning up.

The NHS group are warning the public that they 'may need to wait a while' for your calls to be answered when calling the NHS 24 line on 111, and in the event you are given an appointment, the hosptial will need you to minimse the time spent in the department, with hopes of further reducing the pressure on the staff. 

That being said however, if your problem is immediately life-threatening, you should still call 999. 

Mr Roberts has asked the public that if a family member is fit to go home from hospital, help the staff out by getting them home as quickly as possible to help free up space for those in need. 

"If your family member is fit to be discharged from hospital, please help us to get them home quickly when they are well enough by being ready and available to collect them or support their discharge to their next place of care. 

"Please understand that we cannot always offer the preferred next place of care in the location that you would choose, and we may ask you to compromise. 

"Working with us to accept this means that we can get the flow through our hospitals moving, and offer care to the maximum amount of people who need it," he said. 

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