It is hoped a £1.35 million investment in endoscopy services at NHS Highland will help to slash waiting times.
Funding provided by the Scottish Government will enable the health board to set-up a temporary unit at Raigmore Hospital dedicated solely to providing endoscopy.
It will also support additional staff who will assist the current complement in carrying out the work over a 30-week period from the end of September.
NHS Highland bosses claim this will enable them to carry out an additional 2,400 scopes during that time.
NHS Highland chief executive Paul Hawkins said: “This is a significant achievement given the limited funding available nationally.
“It will allow us to carry out many more scopes during that 30 week period, benefitting our patients and bringing down our waiting time.
“We recognise that capacity in endoscopy has been a challenge to us for some time, but this investment shows the confidence there is in NHS Highland to deliver these improvements in a targeted fashion.
“I’m delighted that we will be able to increase the service provided for patients and I look forward to seeing the much improved waiting time position.”
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP David Stewart added: “This is such an important announcement.
“It really is a positive step forward, but I will be wanting assurances from NHS Highland that this limited 30-week period will be long enough to allow the hospital’s hard-working endoscopy team and back-up staff to perform this critical procedure on all the patients who desperately need it.”
