Concern about staffing levels at Raigmore Hospital

Inspectors have told NHS Highland it must ensure enough staff are available to cope with patient needs in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

During an unannounced inspection in October the hospital was found to be above its patient capacity and additional beds were being used.

However, there was a lack of substantive staff available to look after the extra patients.

NHS Highland said an action plan had been developed to address areas identified for improvement.

The inspection team from Healthcare Improvement Scotland found the hospital was operating at 103% bed occupancy.

That was largely because of delays in discharging patients due to factors such as lack of space in nursing homes.

One ward area using additional beds had a vacancy rate of more than 40% for both registered nurses and healthcare support workers.

Supplementary staff were available but the inspectors said there were concerns that nursing teams were "struggling to meet fundamental care needs", such as timely medication administration and vital sign monitoring.

Louise Bussell, nurse director for NHS Highland, said the report had highlighted "a number of areas of good practice within Raigmore."

She said health and social care was facing "significant challenges" so it was encouraging to hear that patients, and their families, were positive in their feedback about the staff and the care that they provide.

Ms Bussell said: "The inspection report also identified areas for improvement to ensure we have the right workforce with the right skills to provide all aspects of care and patients consistently have access to facilities to meet their needs."

"Action plans have been developed to take these forward."