A NUMBER of operations in Fife have been postponed after damage to a decontamination unit in Dundee.

Thirteen elective surgeries in the Kingdom had to be put off yesterday (Tuesday) and contingency plans are in place today to "minimise any further disruption".

NHS Tayside provides the decontamination and sterilisation of surgical equipment for NHS Fife but, following damage to the ceiling at the Ninewell Hospital unit, this service has been temporarily suspended.

Claire Dobson, NHS Fife's director of acute services said: "We apologise to the small number of patients currently affected, the decision to postpone any operation is never an easy one and we will work to ensure that these appointments are rescheduled as soon as possible.

"Unfortunately, the decision was essential, in order to ensure sufficient clean surgical supplies were available for those with the most urgent clinical need, including medical emergencies and cancer treatments.

"We continue to work with colleagues at NHS Tayside to minimise the impact on our elective procedure programme and ask patients to continue to attend for their scheduled appointment unless they have been contacted by their clinical team."

Elective procedures, operations that can be planned in advance, can include anything from cosmetic procedures such as the removal of a wart through to more serious surgeries such as repairing a hernia, removing an appendix, hip replacement and breast cancer surgery

NHS Tayside's business continuity plans have been enacted and NHS Fife is continuing to work with them, and other health boards, to secure additional decontamination capacity, with some surgical trays going to neighbouring boards for sterilisation.