Storm Eunice: Cornwall hospitals cancel all morning outpatient appointments
Health bosses say they will contact people to rearrange
Last updated 18th Feb 2022
Cornwall's main hospitals have cancelled outpatient appointments and a number of planned surgeries due to Storm Eunice.
The decision was taken after the Met Office issued its highest level red weather warning for strong winds and 'don't travel' alerts were sent out.
Gusts in excess of 90mph have been recorded in parts of the Duchy on Friday.
The gales have damaged buildings and caused widespread travel disruption due to fallen trees and power cables.
As a result, both the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust and the Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust cancelled appointments and the RCHT has since confirmed patients in hospital would not be discharged until the storm had passed.
In a statement issued on Friday lunchtime, NHS Kernow said: "“Anyone who is ready to leave our hospital will be asked to wait until the storm has passed before leaving, unless they live locally to our hospital sites with safe travel. This includes anyone who is asked to collect relatives. This is to ensure everyone is kept safe and does not make any unnecessary journeys that would put them and others at risk.
“All outpatient appointments at Royal Cornwall Hospital, West Cornwall Hospital, St Michaels Hospital are cancelled today.
"We will not be ringing people individually to cancel them but in some limited circumstances the hospital will contact you if the appointment is time critical.
“We have also cancelled a number of planned care surgeries today on a risk-assessed basis and we will be working with individual patients to rebook their surgeries.
“Our overarching priority is to the safety of our patients and our staff and we have taken appropriate responses to this exceptional storm in line with the police and council responses.
"We expect to return to business as usual in all our services later this evening".