Service Update: statement from NHS 24
NHS 24 has been affected, as with all public services across Scotland, by the extreme weather over the past 24 hours. This has meant that many staff have been unable to get to work and we have been operating on approximately 50% capacity. Overnight we answered 1730 calls.
NHS 24 Medical Director Dr Laura Ryan said: “We have seen many staff battle the elements to get to our centres, including on foot and we have arranged transport and accommodation to get people into work where possible. We will today continue to work with other agencies to make arrangements for staff to be picked up and brought in to centres.
“We have had staff volunteering to come in early ahead of the weather, and coming in to work when they were not on shift. Our people have been amazing in their efforts to deliver services and we pay tribute to them for their endurance and support. This includes frontline and support staff.
“This will inevitably have an impact on the access to the service, while the extreme weather continues over the coming days and we would ask the public to only call if they absolutely need support. Many GP surgeries are experiencing difficulty opening and while we will do what we can to help, we would advise the public only to call if they cannot wait until their surgery opens. If you do need to call us, please be patient as it may take longer to have your call answered.
“There’s lots of information to support for people on www.nhsinform.scot and through our Self Help Guides and we are posting regular updates on our Facebook and Twitter channels. We will continue to work with colleagues across NHSScotland to ensure that we can deliver the best possible service in the circumstances to the public at this very challenging time.”
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