Heavy snowfall, followed by freezing temperatures, has led to the cancellation of outpatient clinics and routine procedures at Shropshire’s two acute hospitals.

Staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH) and the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) came into work yesterday to inform patients who were due to attend clinics today that the decision had been taken to cancel them.

The decision was taken due to a combination of factors including advice from emergency services for people not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

Officials at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH), which runs RSH and PRH, wanted to limit traffic coming onto the hospital sites and ensure non-emergency patient transport was available for people ready to be discharged from hospital.

The hospitals have also been affected by some members of staff struggling to get into work.

Debbie Kadum, chief operating officer at SaTH, said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but due to the severe weather over the weekend, and the forecast of freezing temperatures today, it was a decision we felt we had to take in the best interests of our patients and our staff.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. We will continue to assess the situation and will be making a decision about tomorrow’s routine appointments this afternoon. Should we have to cancel any appointments, we will let affected patients know as soon as possible.

“I would urge people only to travel to our hospitals if it is absolutely necessary and remind people that our A&E Departments are only for people with serious illness or injury. There are alternatives out there for less serious conditions, which could mean you avoid what could be a lengthy wait in A&E.”

Alternative sources of care for non-critical ailments are:

• Local pharmacy – they can provide advice and treat a range of minor illnesses and conditions.

• NHS 111 – Call 111 for free from any phone 24 hours a day seven days a week, and you can quickly access appropriate health information and advice

• Minor Injuries Units around the county can treat a range of minor conditions without the need to travel to an A&E department

• You can also book urgent appointments at GP practices, often for the same day or if you are poorly out of normal working hours, you can call Shropdoc the GP Out-of-Hours service on 0333 222 66 55.

Debbie said: “I would like to thank all of our staff who worked throughout the weekend, and have done everything in their powers to get into work today for all their hard work in ensuring our patients receive the best care possible.”