Health Secretary Alex Neil is to visit Aberdeen for crisis talks with disgruntled senior clinicians over the state of NHS Grampian.
Mr Neil will meet consultants after they sent him a letter of complaint over staff shortages and poor leadership of the organisation.
Shortly after it was received, Bill Howatson, chairman of NHS Grampian announced his resignation, admitting there were still “significant challenges” to be met.
Unrest has been growing amongst senior clinical figures at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for several months.
Staffing shortages are leaving consultants covering the work of several colleagues, with routine clinics being cancelled as a result, it has been claimed.
Warnings have been given that patient care is at risk.
Last night, consultants Norman Binnie and Dr Izhar Khan, who chair sub-committees of the board, said they were “encouraged” by Mr Neil’s response.
In a statement, they said: “We have received a response from the minister and he has agreed to address the concerns that were raised.
“The minister will meet with the group of consultants who corresponded to him in the near future.
“Other officials are due to meet with groups of consultants this week.
“We expect to meet with him and move forward. He has responded in a positive way and it is very encouraging.”
An earlier statement from the consultants said responsibility for the way NHS Grampian is run now rests with chief executive Richard Carey and his three executive directors.
They said Mr Howatson’s resignation from his £32,000-a-year-post was “honourable”.
However, Barney Crockett, former leader of Aberdeen City Council said the departure had the “fingerprints of the Scottish Government all over it.”
Mr Neil yesterday denied he had encouraged Mr Howatson, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Mearns on Aberdeenshire Council, to announce his exit.
Lewis Macdonald MSP (Labour, North East) said the problems at NHS Grampian did not stem from local leadership, instead blaming the way the SNP government funds the NHS.
Last month, outgoing medical director Dr Roelf Dijkhuizen said the board had lost out on up to £1billion of government funding in the past decade.
A Healthcare Improvement Service review into leadership and clinical standards at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary is due to report next month.
It was called after whistleblowers contacted the Scottish Government as relationships between clinicians and senior management weakened.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The Health Secretary is due to conduct NHS Grampian’s annual review in November and as part of this visit will take the opportunity to meet with senior consultants and staff from the board.”