Stone demands 'real action' over cancelled operations across NHS Highland
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North MP Jamie Stone has urged the Scottish Government to "wake up and take real action" after it was announced that elective orthopaedic surgeries across NHS Highland have been cancelled for the rest of the month.
The Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross called it a "deplorable state of affairs" and accused the government of failing to deliver on its promised Covid recovery plan for the health service.
NHS Highland issued a statement on Wednesday saying its "clinical emergency pathways" had been under significant pressure across primary and secondary care. As a result of these pressures, it said, "we are struggling to keep pace all the services we are currently aiming to deliver to as a part of the remobilisation of planned elective care".
There are around 2400 people waiting for elective surgery in the Highlands.
Katherine Sutton, chief officer for acute services at NHS Highland, said: “Within acute services we have had to act to relieve some of this pressure, both immediately and with rapid but sustainable measures to improve the situation.
“Our immediate action must focus on the safety of the patients in the hospital and has therefore led to a pause in elective activity, including orthopaedic patients who require an inpatient bed as part of their care.
“We have taken the decision to pause the orthopaedic elective programme through August. This will free up beds, allowing us to meet the demand we need for our emergency patients, and by changing the space within the hospital we will be able to create additional bed capacity within medicine."
Mr Stone had previously highlighted the strain on NHS Highland when it was forced to declare "code black" at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness in July.
Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats found that from March 2020 to June 2021 a total of 232,255 scheduled operations took place – compared with an average of 459,114 over the same period over the past three years.
Mr Stone said: “Yet again, the position that NHS Highland has found itself in is completely unacceptable.
"All politicians of all parties, in both Holyrood and Westminster, should now make common cause and bring the maximum pressure to bear on the Scottish Government. The SNP needs to wake up and take real action to address this deplorable state of affairs.”
Mrs Sutton said NHS Highland's response would also focus on improved staff recruitment.
She said: “This is a very difficult decision which has not been taken lightly.
"We know it will be extremely disappointing to patients who have been waiting too long for their orthopaedic operations, often in pain, and to our colleagues in orthopaedics who are determined to help their patients.
“We know that GP colleagues will also be concerned about the impact on their patients.
"We are working rapidly to stabilise this situation and wish to apologise to all patients who have been affected by this recent decision to pause our elective orthopaedic operations. We plan to reinstate orthopaedic operating from August 30.
"All patients are being contacted to advise them of the rescheduling of their operations. If you are not contacted about your procedure, please turn up as scheduled.
“Patients affected will also be given access to a freephone helpline – 0800 0280492 – open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
“We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of our teams. For this we are extremely grateful and recognise the significant asks made of them as we continue to work with the ongoing pressures.”
