Health services hit by severe weather

Many outpatients services have been affected

Ambulance and other health services in Scotland have been severely disrupted by the appalling weather conditions.

A coastguard helicopter was called to airlift a five-month-old girl to hospital because the bad weather was making it impossible to take her by road.

She was flown from Lochinver in Sutherland to Stornoway where she was then taken to the Western Isles hospital.

Arthur Taylor: Life-saving services are not affected

The severe weather on the mainland had made it impossible for an ambulance to make the journey by road to Inverness.

Officials in the north east said 300 non-urgent outpatients who were due to be transferred to hospital have had their journeys postponed.

Arthur Taylor, of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "We've had to cancel about 300 non-emergency patient journeys due to the weather but I stress they are non-emergency patient journeys.

"The other outpatients who require life-saving outpatient treatment are getting in."

Three ambulances, including one with a patient on board near Peterhead, became stuck in snow on Tuesday morning.

The ambulance service said all had been freed but operations, including air ambulance services, were disrupted because of problems at airports.

Health officials in Aberdeenshire were becoming concerned for the welfare of elderly people because of the bad weather.

Day care centres

Acting Director of Social Work, Colin Mackenzie, said services were becoming stretched.

Most day care centres have been closed and emergency arrangements put in place for meals on wheels services normally provided by school canteens.

Meals will be provided through hotels to those most at risk.

Mr Mackenzie urged friends and neighbours to check on the welfare of disabled and elderly people who live alone.