Jim Crombie, Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “Services in NHS Lothian will return to normal as the snow begins to thaw and the transport situation is much improved. Our outpatient appointments service returned to schedule on Monday and outpatients who had their appointment cancelled last week will receive a letter offering a new appointment date.
“Non-urgent elective procedures are gradually resuming over the next two or three days following cancellation on Monday which allowed us to prioritise cancer and urgent procedures. People who had had an inpatient procedure cancelled can expect to receive a call within the next fortnight to reschedule.
“Once again I would like to apologise to all those patients whose appointments were cancelled in such extreme circumstances. We know it was, at times, frustrating and worrying for appointments to be postponed at the last minute, but I would like to reassure patients and their families that they will receive another appointment as soon as is practically possible. We are extremely grateful to our patients and their families, for their continued understanding and ask that they bear with us just a little longer while we make up for lost time.
“Our staff have been amazing under such pressure and I’m really proud of the steps they have taken to ensure they could continue to deliver the safe and effective quality care that we enjoy in NHS Lothian.
“We have countless stories of clinical staff sleeping overnight in hospitals, just to make their shift the following day, walking for up to 13 miles in knee-deep snow and ferrying colleagues to and from work in 4×4 vehicles after long shifts themselves. I’d like to draw attention, too, to our superb staff working behind the scenes in areas such as laboratories, medical records, administration, domestic services, transport, estates and facilities and laboratories who are crucial to the workings of NHS Lothian.
“Our sincere appreciation also goes to Lothian Fire and Rescue Service, the Army, Blood Bikes Scotland and Police Scotland who stepped in to help when transport links were knocked out by the snow. We were also inundated with offers from garages, staff members and good Samaritans of all kinds. The response was magnificent and the generosity very much appreciated.”
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