Health secretary admits norovirus outbreak is causing problems for hospitals

HOSPITALS ARE struggling to find enough beds and meet waiting-time targets while dealing with high numbers of winter vomiting bug cases, Health Secretary Alex Neil has been warned.

Opposition MSPs raised their concerns about the impact of the norovirus on the NHS.

The bug is estimated to have hit about one in five people in Scotland, according to experts.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on the first day back from the Christmas break, Mr Neil admitted there “have been knock-on impacts on various aspects of certain hospitals”.

He said that “in quite a number of health board areas additional bed capacity has been brought in to deal with the situation.”

The problem of increased demand on the NHS was raised by Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Hume, who said some patients are having to wait longer in accident and emergency than the four-hours standard.