NHS Tayside will not be penalised financially for missing waiting time targets due to bad weather cancellations.
But on a visit to Dundee on Tuesday, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon did not commit herself to finding extra funding to allow local hospitals to catch up on the backlog.
NHS Tayside cancelled 8000 operations and clinic appointments in a single week due to the appalling weather just before Christmas.
At that time the health authority’s deputy chief executive Gerry Marr warned guaranteed waiting times would not be met and revealed that NHS Tayside was in talks with the Scottish Government about the situation.
NHS Tayside chief executive Professor Tony Wells said on Tuesday that more planned operations had been postponed this week due to “pressure on beds” at Ninewells Hospital.
The Courier asked Ms Sturgeon whether she would be waiving the waiting time targets and intervening to support NHS Tayside in efforts to catch up with the backlog.
“Obviously the weather has had an impact on elective activity,” she said. “I know NHS Tayside are working really hard to catch up and make sure any appointments that were cancelled and any that might breach (waiting time guarantees) are attended to as quickly as possible. We are working hard to provide whatever support we can.”
Asked directly if NHS Tayside would be penalised financially for failing to meet waiting time targets, Ms Sturgeon said allowances would be made for Arctic weather challenges and there would be no financial penalty “They are not going to lose money.”
However, asked if the Scottish Government would give extra cash to help catch up with the backlog, she replied “possibly.”