HEALTH bosses were last week accused of failing to reassure vulnerable staff worried about picking up coronavirus.

Guidance issued to NHS boards across the UK indicates that staff members who are either pregnant or live with certain conditions should be moved to lower-risk areas of work.

But two NHS Borders employees, who spoke to the Border Telegraph last week, claimed their bosses were failing to discuss the prospect of working from home.

One worker, who we agreed not to name, said: "I know I should be self-isolating because of my underlying health condition but there doesn't seem to be much concern shown towards myself or anyone else in my position.”

It is understood that the staff member was later told they could work from home as of this week.

Last week, however, the employee was frustrated about a lack of communication from management.

The worker said: "There are a lot of staff members who are either pregnant, have diabetes or autoimmune disease.

"We are all trying to get answers and nobody seems to know what to do - there is a lack of clear guidance from the management at NHS Borders.

"We have been told to contact Occupational Health but no emails that I know of have been answered.

"I know I should be self-isolating because of my underlying health condition but there doesn't seem to be much concern shown towards myself or anyone else in my position.

"If we do contract coronavirus we're just going to become an added burden."

The Scottish government has been issuing the same guidance as Public Health England over 'at risk' staff working for the NHS.

The recommendations state: "NHS organisations should make adjustments... which include working remotely or moving to a lower risk area".

Suggestions include moving 'at risk' staff to provide "telephone-based or digital/video-based consultations and advice for outpatients, 111, and primary care".

But last week NHS Borders had not been keeping staff up to date about opportunities to work from home, according to another anxious employee.

The BGH worker told us: "I contacted my line manager at the start of the week as I had concerns due to my condition.

"I was told that I was expected to continue working until told otherwise.

"I'm not the only one in this position - everyone is struggling to get any information.

"I have heard that other health boards in Scotland have made arrangements for people with conditions like mine to work from home.

"I appreciate frontline health workers have to do their bit during this crisis but NHS Borders shouldn't be putting people who are most at risk into these situations."

We contacted NHS Borders on behalf of the concerned staff members.

The communications department declined to respond with a statement on the current situation, but a spokeswoman did say NHS Borders was “following guidance from the Scottish government”.