NHS cancel all non-urgent appointments and procedures

Non-urgent non-urgent outpatient appointments and planned procedures at acute hospitals have been cancelled.

NHS Lanarkshire made the announcement on Wednesday – the day after the Scottish Government announcement all non-urgent elective care has been postponed to free up capacity in hospitals for at least the next three months. Judith Park, NHS

Lanarkshire acting director of acute services, said:“The safety of our patients is always our top priority.

“In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the latest Scottish government advice, we’ve taken the decision to cancel non-urgent outpatient appointments and planned procedures at all our acute sites.

“The decision to cancel any appointment is not one we take lightly and I apologise for the impact this will have.

“A small number of appointments will still go ahead as scheduled.

“Appointments will be prioritised based on clinical need and those patients who are deemed clinically urgent will be rebooked.

“Patients will receive a letter, text message or voice message giving details of their new appointment.”

Maternity and neonatal clinics will continue as normal in the meantime.

Patients with any concerns can contact NHS Lanarkshire’s dedicated helpline number 0300 303 0446.

For the latest health advice, see NHS Inform’s coronavirus page.

A free helpline has been set up for those who do not have symptoms but are looking for general health advice: 0800 028 2816.