Operations categorised as 'urgent' involving patients with cancer have been cancelled due to the closure of a unit that cleans surgical equipment.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said today that 324 operations have been postponed so far due to the closure of the Cowlairs unit, which sterilises millions of surgical instruments every year, after concerns were raised during a safety inspection.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said 'regrettably' a small number of the cases involved patients requiring surgery as part of cancer treatment had had to be postponed. 

The board said this was due to their surgery requiring 'highly specialised' instruments which were not currently available due to the closure of the unit. Those operations are being re-scheduled as a 'priority.'

The company which carries out the inspections - Lloyd's Register Business Assurance and Inspection Services - lifted the suspension on services on Thursday but said it is continuing to monitor the situation. It is not yet known when the unit will re-open.

Operations have been cancelled at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Gartnavel.

A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: "The decontamination unit at Cowlairs will re-open as soon as the various tests and checks have been completed and re-certification is obtained from our quality assurance auditors. 

"We are making strenuous efforts to bring it back in to use as quickly as possible but do not yet have a confirmed date for this.

"In order to prioritise emergency, trauma and urgent cases, we have now regrettably had to postpone 324 operations that were scheduled to take place between last Friday and yesterday.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience and concern that this will have caused and are writing to the patients affected.

Read more: Operations cancelled after sudden closure of sterilisation unit 

"The logistics of this have been challenging; we are working with other health boards over the country and this affects the time it takes for the equipment to be delivered back to us ready for use in our theatres. 

"Whilst we have been able to continue to turn around many thousands of instruments over the past few days, we have had to restrict our programme of planned surgery to enable us to prioritise emergency, trauma and urgent cases. 

"This has meant that some, but not all, of our non-urgent cases have been rescheduled, including 87 patients yesterday.

"Regrettably, we have also had to postpone a small number of urgent cases including those receiving surgery as part of their cancer treatment whose surgery involve highly specialised instruments and are arranging for these patients to be seen as a priority."