Responding to figures which show the number of operations cancelled in Orkney has increased by 115% in just a year, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said:
“There are various reasons for why operations can be cancelled – issues often exacerbated by rurality of our island communities - but a doubling of cancellations in just a year is still worrying.
“Although the numbers are relatively small when compared to other health boards, some of these cancellations risk having both a physical and a mental impact on patients who may be left waiting for treatment.
“It also flies in the face of the Scottish Government’s repeated claims that they are working hard to get our rural and island health services back on track after the pandemic”.
Mr Halcro Johnston has also written to NHS Orkney over long waiting lists for cataract operations for local patients, commenting:
“Cataract surgery is, in most instances, a fairly straight forward and quick operation, but too many people are being left too long waiting for much-needed operations.
“For many Orcadians, particularly some of our older residents, issues with their sight risks having a devastating impact on their ability to live their lives as they would want to, as well as increasing their risk of other injuries such as falls.
“I have written to NHS Orkney to get a better idea, not only of how many people are currently waiting for surgery, but also the impact of these delays on patients and on wider health and social care services.
“And I want to know both what can be done, and what is being done, to expediate treatment and get people the cataract treatment they need”.
