Patients are turning up for emergency hospital care sicker than they were before the pandemic, according to a top NHS boss.
Chief executive Pam Dudek has revealed patients are attending the A&E department at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness with worse symptoms.
She believes this is a consequence of people having been previously put off booking medical appointments due to the pandemic, and as as a result, some people are now suffering with worsened or multiple issues.
Ms Dudek said the health board is still facing “very challenging” times with Highland residents also waiting longer for operations.
Pam Dudek, chief executive of NHS Highland.
She also told how plans are still under way to improve services, with management teams busy “flying the plane while trying to redesign” the health board.
Use our interactive graphic below to hear what Ms Dudek thinks about the current state of the region’s health services and what the future may hold.
