Thousands of patients have had hospital appointments and operations cancelled or postponed next week as public sector workers strike.

Around 50,000 healthcare staff will be among 300,000 Scottish public sector workers expected to participate in the UK-wide strike next Wednesday.

Most routine surgeries and appointments have already been cancelled but urgent operations will go ahead and emergency services will continue to work as normal.

Dave Watson, Unison organiser for Scotland, said "just about everyone" will be effected by the day of strike action in the same way as on a public holiday.

He said: "Essentially, there will be emergency cover in the health service next Wednesday but it will be more like a public holiday. We want to ensure life-and-limb cover but most routine surgery and appointments have already been cancelled."

Mr Watson added that appointments and operations were being rescheduled for Thursday or Friday next week.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde "regrettably" decided to postpone 1000 routine hospital admissions and day cases, as well as a "significant number" of outpatient and community appointments.

A spokeswoman for the health board said: "We are now in the process of writing out to the patients affected to inform them of this. We have taken this difficult decision because we do not want to inconvenience our patients by cancelling at short notice on the day and potentially causing them a wasted journey.

"All affected appointments and admissions will be rearranged as soon as possible."

She added that a "robust planning process" will ensure core emergency services are provided.

NHS Lothian said it had not scheduled appointments for patients to undergo elective procedures next Wednesday but around 300 patients who get day treatment or inpatient procedures would have to rearrange.

Jackie Sansbury, chief operating officer at NHS Lothian, said: "We have planned ahead for the industrial action to make sure that, as far as possible, patients are not disrupted or inconvenienced. As a result, we did not make appointments for patients to undergo elective procedures on November 30 and therefore have not had to cancel or postpone any surgery."

In Lanarkshire, around 1000 procedures due to take place on Wednesday have been cancelled, meaning appointment numbers have been reduced to less than 30% of what would normally take place.

A spokesman for the area health board said: "NHS Lanarkshire has been working closely with our staff-side representatives to ensure we have the required amount of staff working to provide safe levels of staffing in inpatient wards and to maintain emergency and urgent appointments and procedures on Wednesday November 30.

"We are communicating with all patients due to attend hospital on the day of action to advise them whether their appointment will proceed. All cancelled appointments will be rescheduled."

Almost three million workers across the UK are due to walk out on November 30 on a day of co-ordinated strikes at schools, courts, government offices, jobcentres, driving test centres and council services.

The UK Government wants to increase the amount of money public sector workers pay into their pension, raise the age of retirement and introduce career-average pensions.

• Schools across Scotland to close for one-day strike