Hospitals will remain open during strike say health bosses
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NHS Highland have said that their hospitals will remain open but run a limited service if the nationwide strike over pensions goes ahead as expected next Wednesday (November 30).
The health board said that they were already putting contingency plans in place for what unions are calling the biggest strike in a generation.
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said emergency services and the likes of cancer treatment will be provided but non-essential routines will be cancelled.
She said: "Our priority and responsibility is at all times to ensure we run a safe service.
"We will be maintaining all emergency services and core clinical services which includes cancer treatments, renal dialysis, and emergency mental health and maternity services.
"Anyone who is currently receiving a course of daily or weekly treatment will also not be affected.
"However, to maintain safe services we will have to cancel most non-urgent activity including most outpatient clinics, day surgery and elective surgery."
Elaine Mead, Chief Executive for NHS Highland, said: "We have begun to identify exactly what will run and have started to contact patients directly to inform them if their appointment is cancelled on November 30.
"We are no longer booking non urgent appointments for that day, however if an appointment is urgent people will be seen.
"We are working closely with our staff to clarify all these arrangements.
"We are also working with our partner agencies, NHS24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service, to clarify what services they will be running."
