NHS Fife has confirmed its has restarted most of its orthopaedic programme after a Fife MSP said too many constituents were suffering as they waited for treatment.

Labour MSP Alex Rowley wrote to the chief executive to ask when the health board planned to restart routine elective surgery, including hip and knee replacements.

NHS Fife said that operating capacity in the orthopaedics department has increased and that it was working hard to make sure patients are seen as quickly as possible.

Mr Rowley said he had been contacted by Fifers who have had planned treatments delayed, with worsening pain and negative affect on their physical and mental health, as ops were postponed due to the pandemic.

That's left a backlog and Mr Rowley said: “As we restart treatments and services within our NHS there needs to be clear plans for addressing arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.

“This requires clear communication so people know when they will get the treatment they desperately need as well as the necessary support while they wait for treatment.

“I am asking NHS Fife what assessments it has made to restart elective surgery, when they expect to be able to resume this, if they have re-prioritised waiting lists and whether they have contacted and provided clear communication to those on waiting lists."

Mr David Chesney, clinical lead for orthopaedics in Fife, said: “NHS Fife has now recommenced much of its orthopaedic programme, including joint replacements, and was one of the first health boards in Scotland to do so.

“Over recent weeks our clinical team has been contacting those patients awaiting orthopaedic procedures to reassess their needs and are prioritising patients based on national guidance to ensure the most clinically urgent cases are seen first. This work is ongoing.

“We have now regained much of the operating capacity we had available prior to the pandemic and this capacity will continue to expand in the coming weeks and months.”

NHS Fife recently published its remobilisation plan, which outlines how both hospital and community-based healthcare services will safely and incrementally resume in the coming months.

Associate medical director, Dr Robert Cargill, said: “Like health boards across the country, NHS Fife had to postpone all non-urgent procedures as it responded to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Importantly however, we continued to carry out emergency, urgent and cancer operations throughout.

“As we continue to see the easing of lockdown restrictions, we have now safely recommenced many non-urgent procedures and we are working hard to ensure that patients are seen as quickly as possible.

“Patient safety remains our number one priority and we have put additional infection and prevention measures in place during any planned procedures.

“The need for physical distancing will unfortunately have some impact upon capacity as our services recommence, however, this is necessary to ensure the continued safety of staff and patients, and every effort is being made to minimise the effects of such measures.”