Manx Care has warned that its services will be affected by the forecast bad weather.

It might change depending on conditions.

Appointments and service:

If you have a hospital appointment booked for the morning, this will go ahead as planned.

However, all face-to-face outpatient appointments planned for this afternoon will be cancelled – do not attend if this affects you.

Some appointments may be able to be carried out over the phone instead – patients will be contacted to confirm if their appointment will be via telephone.

If they are not contacted, patients should assume their appointment is cancelled and you will receive an invitation for a new appointment in due course.

All day case activity, including endoscopy, has also been cancelled, and all people affected have already been contacted.

However, inpatient admissions are continuing as planned.

Appointments planned to start or continue into this afternoon that are deemed as urgent will continue to take place, patients will be contacted if this applies to them.

For example, this will apply to anyone who is due to receive oncology treatment, haemodialysis or other urgent therapy.

If anyone has concerns about a planned appointment today, they should contact the unit they were due to receive the treatment via telephone (direct dial or via Manx Care switchboard 650000).

Maternity appointments due to take place in the afternoon will be cancelled.

Similarly, any women who are due to give birth will also be contacted.

If any pregnant woman has any concerns or needs advice, they should contact the maternity unit on 650030 where midwives will be happy to help.

Those with invitations to routine breast screenings can still attend if they are invited for a morning screening, however those invited for the afternoon will be contacted and sent a new invitation in due course.

Do not attend if you were invited for an afternoon routine screening.

Any community-based appointments planned for the afternoon will be cancelled, with any urgent appointments to be moved to the morning.

Patients will be contacted if this affects you.

All day services for older people and those with learning disabilities will be closed.

Anyone affected will be contacted.

GP appointments will go ahead unless patients are contacted by theirpractice to change this.

The Manx Emergency Doctors Service (MEDS) is for emergencies only - for anything routine, contact GP practices.

Mental health services will be operating as normal in the morning, but will be working remotely in the afternoon.

People affected will be contacted by their mental health practitioner.

Brunswick Gardens and Next Step will be closed in the afternoon.

The crisis team and Manannan Court will be available via phone as normal

.Urgent and emergency care today:

Patients in the north can attend Ramsey Cottage Hospital’s minor injuries and illnesses unit (MIU) if they need to access urgent care.

An emergency medicine consultant will be based at MIU on Thursday and Friday to support nurse practitioners.

A Manx Care spokesman said: 'Please remember to keep warm, and if you have any elderly or vulnerable family/friends, please check on them and make sure they are keeping safe and warm.

'If you do go out in the snow, please take care - it may be more difficult to get to hospital if you need it at this time.

'These decisions have not been taken lightly. Whilst some roads may be accessible, the safety of patients and colleagues travelling to and from Manx Care sites across the island is our priority.

'However we urge the population to access urgent care normally if they need it – the ambulance Service (999) and the Noble’s emergency department will be open 24 hours and Ramsey minor injuries unit, MEDS and your GP practice will be operating during their normal opening hours to continue to provide urgent treatment.

.The Manx Care Advice and Liaison Service (MCALS) are picking up voicemails, and will respond to emails.'