Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway will suspend planned theatre and endoscopies for a week after a Covid outbreak linked to the surgical ward.
No new scheduled admissions will be made to the ward, with only emergency surgery unaffected by the temporary suspension.
The hospital will also allow only essential visitors to the unit.
The decision comes just three days after the hospital’s medical Ward 1 reopened to admissions, following an 11-day closure which also resulted from a number of Covid cases.
NHS Western Isles said a problem assessment group had been formed to ensure all measures needed to stop the spread of the virus on the surgical ward were in place, adding that service would resume as soon as it is safe.
NHS Western Isles Nurse and AHP Director/Chief Operating Officer, Fiona McKenzie, said: “The closure of the ward to non-emergency admissions was essential to help prevent further spread of Covid-19 within the ward and to protect our patients and staff.
“Regretfully we have had no other option in the circumstances than to take the decision to postpone planned theatre and endoscopy activity for a short period.
“We will resume these services as quickly as we can, and would like to apologise sincerely to any patients affected.”
