NHS Ayrshire and Arran is continuing to increase its coronavirus bed capacity as admissions continue to surge.

The latest figures show the health board has over 230 COVID admissions – well over its initial winter COVID capacity of 169 beds.

Earlier this month it was revealed that outbreaks of COVID-19 in the lower risk areas among patients and staff had led to wards closing to new admissions and that coupled with rising case numbers placed “a great strain on every aspect of the system”.

However, health chiefs at NHS Ayrshire and Arran say they have increased their capacity to meet rising demand as the number of coronavirus admissions continue to increase.  

On Wednesday, the health board revealed that their COVID bed capacity was 223 beds with that number changing daily. 

Medical director for NHS Ayrshire and Arran Dr Crawford McGuffie said: “NHS Ayrshire and Arran currently has 197 confirmed COVID-19 inpatients in acute hospitals, including 14 patients being treated in our Intensive Care Units.

"We have a further 35 COVID-19 inpatients in other community hospitals.

“Yesterday’s (Tuesday) bed capacity in our acute hospitals at 8am was 798 beds, of which our COVID bed capacity was 223 beds.

"This is a very dynamic situation and the number of beds required is subject to change to meet demand.

“Our bed capacity in our acute hospitals on any given day flexes up and down.

"We are able to use our capacity flexibly between urgent and emergency cases and COVID-19 cases.

"That is why it may seem that we have exceeded our COVID-19 capacity.

"We also flex non-urgent and routine activity to make more space available.”