NHS Orkney cancels appointments amid snow

Continued snow has brought school closures, medical appointment cancellations, and transport disruption.

Orkney has been downgraded to a yellow weather warning, with authorities still advising the public only to travel if necessary.

Bus services throughout the county are suspended, Kirkwall Airport is closed, and a number of ferry services are cancelled as a result of the weather.

With the cold weather set to last another couple of days, NHS Orkney has been in touch with patients due to have appointments this Monday and Tuesday to postpone these.

An NHS Orkney spokeswoman said: “As we continue to navigate the winter weather, we’d like to remind you that our Emergency Department remains open for those with urgent and life-threatening emergencies.

“To help keep patients and staff safe during severe weather, we ask that you only attend the Emergency Department when it is needed. 

“For health concerns that are not life threatening, please utilise the options available to you. For example, by going online and visiting NHS Inform at https://www.nhsinform.scot/ or by calling NHS24 on 111. 

“For information regarding GP Practices, please check in with your individual practice (some updates are already on GP Facebook pages). 

“We want to stress how thankful we are to you, the community, and our staff for keeping one another safe, ensuring essential services can continue to operate in challenging weather conditions.”