NHS Highland can confirm that we have secured support from three NHS Boards to ensure colorectal oncology patients can access their treatment.
We will work collaboratively with NHS Lothian, NHS Tayside and NHS Grampian to ensure equitable access for our patients.
Dr Boyd Peters, NHS Highland's Medical Director, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support from the other NHS Boards and the Scottish Government. We aim to go live with this collaborative approach from Monday, 3 July 2023.
“Our clinical teams will communicate directly with our patients to advise when their appointments will be and how they are able to access the treatment. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.
“Should you have any urgent clinical query, please contact our Colorectal Cancer Nurse Specialist on 01463 704309 during office hours or email nhsh.oncology@nhs.scot
“Unfortunately, this arrangement may mean that some patients will have to travel to other Board areas for clinical reasons, but we will make every effort to ensure this is kept to a minimum through the use of local staff and NHS Near Me.
“We realise this will have caused distress to our patients and should you need to discuss this further, support is available through Maggie’s on 01463 382900 or email highlands@maggies.org - Maggie’s have dedicated psychologists and support groups across Highland.
“We are sorry for the upset this has caused to our patients and we will move quickly to resume our colorectal oncology service in Highland.”