26 October 2026
As we prepare for another busy winter, we are asking people across the Scottish Borders to help keep healthcare moving by accessing the right care, in the right place and at the right time.
Winter traditionally brings additional pressure across health and care services, with increased demand, seasonal illness and patients who are often more unwell.
Our winter plan focuses on making the best use of the services and resources we already have. This means helping people get the care they need without unnecessary delays, supporting people to return home from hospital as soon as they are well enough and continuing planned operations and appointments wherever possible. We will also continue our vaccination programme to help protect people from serious illness.
This work also supports our Clinical Strategy, which focuses on prevention, community-based care, better mental health support and delivering more care closer to home. That means helping people stay well, providing alternatives to hospital where appropriate and supporting people to return home as soon as they are ready.
Oliver Bennett, Director of Acute Services at NHS Borders, said: “We know that winter will put additional pressure on our services, so we have been working hard to make sure we are as prepared as possible.
“We will work with our partners to help people leave hospital as soon as they are ready, and keep planned operations and appointments running wherever possible. But we also need the public’s help to use services appropriately, plan ahead and help us keep healthcare moving.”
Gareth Clinkscale, Director of Urgent Care, Community Services and Mental Health at NHS Borders, said: “Our winter plan supports the direction set out in our Clinical Strategy: preventing ill health, strengthening community-based care and mental health support and providing more care closer to home.
“Getting the right care does not always mean going to hospital. We want to support people in their own homes and communities wherever appropriate and, when hospital care is needed, help people return home as soon as they are well enough.”
What you can do
Our Accessing Healthcare campaign sets out what you can expect when you need healthcare and how to access the right support at each stage of your journey. The aim is simple: right care, right place, right time.
There are some simple things everyone can do to help:
Stay well and help prevent infections spreading: Take up vaccination if you are eligible and wash your hands regularly, especially after being out and about. If you cough or sneeze, use a disposable tissue, bin it straight away and wash your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve rather than your hands. Please don’t visit your loved ones in hospital if you are unwell, including if you have a cough, cold, flu-like symptoms or another respiratory infection. If you have had vomiting or diarrhoea, please wait at least 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped before visiting.
Seek the right care in the right place: NHS inform and community pharmacies can help with many common conditions. If you think you need the Emergency Department but your condition is not life-threatening, call NHS 24 on 111. In a life-threatening emergency, call 999 or go directly to the Emergency Department.
Plan ahead: Check your repeat prescription and order only what you need, ideally up to 10 working days in advance, particularly ahead of public holidays. It is also useful to keep appropriate over-the-counter medicines at home for common seasonal illnesses, such as paracetamol and cough remedies.
Use appointments wisely: Please attend appointments as planned or let us know as early as possible if you no longer need or cannot attend your appointment.
Be ready to leave hospital: If you are admitted to hospital, we will start planning for your discharge early. Once you no longer need hospital care, we will work with you to leave safely as soon as possible. Staying in hospital longer than necessary can affect recovery and independence.
Help your loved one return home or to their next place of care: Please support your loved one’s discharge from hospital by being ready and available to collect them as soon as you can, or supporting their discharge to their next place of care if they are unable to return home. Leaving hospital when medically fit to do so helps people get back to their normal routine and maintain their independence, while also helping to ensure beds are available for patients who need them.