A health board has been ordered to apologise after two women were diagnosed with Hepatitis C several years after blood tests first threw up concerns.

Both patients visited NHS Orkney medical practices for blood tests, which returned abnormal results.

Medics failed to follow up on the results in both cases and the patients were diagnosed with hepatitis C "a number of years later".

The two women complained the blood results should have been kept under review to allow swifter diagnosis and to avoid other medical complications and conditions.

The cases were highlighted in two separate reports by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) on Wednesday.

The SPSO was unable to disclose if the two cases were linked to the same medical practice.

Ombudsman Jim Martin upheld the complaints in both cases, saying further tests should have been arranged and ordering the health board to apologise to the women.

In one case, Mr Martin found the practice procedure for the reporting of blood results had been updated and the current process is appropriate.

The GP who had seen the patient retired several years ago, making it difficult for the practice to respond.

It did emerge, however, that the woman had been wrongly diagnosed with Gilbert's syndrome, a genetic disorder caused by high levels of bilirubin building up in the bloodstream.

An NHS Orkney spokeswoman said "We acknowledge the Ombudsman's decision in these cases and will comply fully with the recommendations."