NHS Grampian has become the third health board to have sought military assistance to help cope with the current pressures it is facing.

Nurses, medics, drivers and general troops from the military are already being deployed to support NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Borders.

A total of 63 military personnel will be deployed to NHS Lanarkshire including three nurses, 45 military medics, 12 general duties troops and three drivers.

And in NHS Borders, 14 military medics, two nurses and four additional military personnel will help out.

Dr Lewis Morrison, Chair of BMA Scotland, said the move “emphasises the seriousness and scale of the pressures on NHS services and frontline healthcare staff”, adding that things are “on a knife edge in the areas where this is happening.”

A military driver will help with transport and two military medics will oversee operations from the army’s Scottish headquarters.

The support will start from Tuesday and will continue until November 10 - but this will be kept under constant review.

The Herald:

NHS Grampian confirmed on Monday that the health board has also asked for assistance, and is waiting to hear the outcome of this request.

Head of health intelligence, Jilly Evans, previously said the health board would “welcome” such support.

Asked by th if Grampian may need the same measures as the Borders and Lanarkshire, she said: “I think we would welcome that if that were possible for us, and I think many boards will feel the same way.

"Particularly the possibility of nursing staff would be really important to us. We’d back it up and augment it with some fantastic volunteers who help us with transport situations, but having military support would be a real boost to us too.”

Health secretary Humza Yousaf has aid the Scottish Government would look “favourably” on such requests.

Speaking to BBC’s Good Morning Scotland on Monday he said: “If that request comes in to the government, then of course we would look at that favourably.

He added: “But you can imagine, the military is getting these requests from every single health board and NHS Trust across the entire United Kingdom.

“So no doubt they are also stretched. But certainly, if a health board makes an approach to the government then we will certainly look to make an approach to the military for assistance.”