By Marjory Inglis, health reporter

DUNDEE’S NINEWELLS Hospital has been under sustained pressure for several weeks from higher than normal admissions.

A top doctor yesterday said over 60 patients had been admitted as medical emergencies on some days recently, almost double the daily average over the year.

Dr John Winter—clinical director of the medicine and cardiovascular group that has responsibility for ward 15, Ninewells’ medical emergency admissions ward—said staff were managing the influx of sick patients.

He said there was no evidence of a flu epidemic but there were problems “in the community” with a respiratory virus causing problems that led to hospital admissions mainly, but not exclusively, of elderly people. Young people had been admitted with pneumonia.

“We have come under sustained pressure since Christmas and clearly we have had to find extra beds,” said Dr Winter.

“The troops have coped well. The medicine team and the accident and emergency team have done really well in addressing this surge in activity.

“The nurses have really worked very hard. They have done incredibly well. I must stress everybody has been busy, not just the doctors.”

Dr Winter explained that the “usual intake” of medical emergency patients was around 36 patients a day. He pointed out that this was an average taken across the year and that in winter admission rates did tend to be higher.

“Hopefully, we think it is going to go down soon and we will be able to clear the decks a bit,” Dr Winter added.