Isles FM News in association with Hebrides News - Thursday 16th July 2020
NHS SERVICES EXPANDED AS COVID LOCKDOWN EASES.
NHS Western Isles is taking steps increase the availability of its services. Since being placed on an emergency footing due to COVID-19 and has stated it fully understands the difficulties local communities have experienced -- and the impact of reductions in more routine health services, treatments, and tests.
Since the beginning of June, NHS Western Isles has been slowly and safely reintroducing some services -- and it is continuing to take steps to re-introduce certain services on a weekly basis.
NHS Western Isles Chief Executive, Gordon Jamieson, said:
“We would like to sincerely thank our local communities for their patience. Our priority is your safety and that of our staff, so we must ensure that services are only restarted when it is safe to do so.
“We are now recovering and renewing some services on a very gradual basis. But it is likely that, as services resume, they may not look or feel the same as they did previously.”
Endoscopy services are now provided three days a week in Stornoway, and a majority of Outpatient clinics have re-commenced . There are no immediate plans to re-introduce inpatient surgery unless there is an emergency. But cataract day surgery should resume this week. Finally, this month will see the resumption of some Musculoskeletal (MSK) clinics, with a focus on virtual consultations.
Read more: Isles FM News in association with Hebrides News - Thursday 16th July 2020