TROOPS have been called in to transport hundreds of hospital staff through extreme weather conditions.
Soldiers from 3 Rifles and 2 Scots, based in Dreghorn Barracks and Penicuik, were deployed at 6pm on Thursday.
They were to support the movement of about 200 critical care workers over their shift change periods at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Western General.
It comes while an amber warning for snow covers much of Scotland, with the weather severely affecting NHS services.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Our armed forces stand ready to help as Britain is hit by severe weather.
"Our service personnel are showing great dedication and a spirited sense of duty as they support local authorities and keep people safe."
As the weather warnings continue, NHS Scotland has had difficulty transporting staff and patients with life-threatening conditions to and from hospitals.
The troops will use defence and commercial four-wheel drive vehicles to move the workers.
Their efforts are being helped by two Police Scotland vehicles and eight from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
It comes after a special request was made by NHS Lothian to the Scottish Government.
Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "Our emergency services across Scotland are doing a fantastic job during very difficult circumstances to keep people safe through the challenging and unprecedented weather conditions we've experienced this week.
"The Scottish Government's Resilience Coordination Centre is continuing to work with local authorities and public services across Scotland and ensure they have the support they need and we have acted quickly on a specific request from NHS Lothian.
"My priority is the safety of staff and patients and the measures we have put in place will ensure these are protected during challenging circumstances."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel