Hospitals across central Scotland cancel appointments amid Storm Eowyn red alert

Hospitals across central Scotland have cancelled outpatient appointments as the country is hit with hurricane-force winds by Storm Eowyn.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and NHS Fife have cancelled outpatient procedures.

It comes after a rare Met Office red alert was issued as Storm Eowyn brings the most intense weather in recent history with wind speeds of 100mph.

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Schools across Scotland are closed with trains, bus services and ferries suspended.

People have been urged to stay indoors and not to travel under what has been described as “exceptional circumstances” by STV meteorologist Sean Batty.

The first-ever use in Scotland of the UK-wide emergency alert system saw phones belonging to those in the affected areas emit a loud siren and display urgent guidance from the government.

All trains across the country are suspended, hundreds of schools are closed and police have warned people not to travel in the areas affected.

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Following the red weather warning, non-urgent outpatient appointments and routine hospital admissions scheduled for Friday January 24 are being cancelled.

“Urgent and emergency care and essential maternity and community services will continue to be provided.

“If you are affected, we will reschedule your appointment as soon as possible. All vaccination clinics due to take place on Friday, January 24 have been cancelled and appointments will be rescheduled.”

NHS Forth Valley announced it had postponed outpatient clinics, diagnostic tests and scans at local hospitals on Friday and will aim to reschedule them as soon as possible.

It also cancelled all vaccination clinics on Friday but said they would run normally on Saturday.

The health board added that arrangements are being made for patients who are due to undergo surgery to attend earlier before the red weather alert comes into force.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran confirmed that GP practices will be only providing urgent care, while all vaccination clinics would be closed.

A spokesperson added: “Non-urgent outpatient appointments and elective hospital admissions scheduled for Friday 24th January are being cancelled.

“Urgent and emergency care and essential maternity and community services will continue to be provided.”

NHS Fife said: “Severe weather warnings have been issued across Fife, including parts of the region where a red warning is in place for dangerous winds.

“To help ensure the safety of our patients and staff, we have made the decision to postpone all routine clinic appointments, diagnostics and planned theatre activity.”

A spokesperson for NHS Lothian added: “Due to the rare Red Alert in place tomorrow (January 24. 2025), NHS Lothian has taken the difficult decision to cancel all routine, non-urgent planned procedures and the majority of hospital outpatient appointments to help protect our patients and staff.

“Emergency and urgent planned procedures and some urgent outpatient appointments will still go ahead and urgent cancer treatment and surgery will be prioritised, as well as renal dialysis and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).”

NHS Dumfries and Galloway said the majority of outpatient appointments and planned surgeries at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary in Dumfries are still set to go ahead.

A spokesperson added: “All outpatient and day surgeries at Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer have been cancelled for Friday, January 24, reflecting that the storm is expected to hit the Wigtownshire area of the region most severely.”