Healthboard NHS Grampian declares 'critical incident' due to extreme pressure on emergency services

NHS Grampian has declared a board-level critical incident due to “extreme pressure” on its emergency services.

The healthboard says its emergency departments at both Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary are facing a challenging weekend because of the local public holiday on Monday.

It’s the second such critical incident at the healthboard over the past two years.

NHS Grampian executive director on call, Shantini Paranjothy said: “Our teams are facing a particularly challenging weekend due to the local public holiday on Monday (28 September), capacity within our hospitals and extreme pressures on care within the community.

“We are working alongside key partners including the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Tayside and NHS Highland to take all necessary steps, including diverting ambulances only where absolutely necessary, to ensure all patients are safe and well cared for.

“We are grateful to teams working across the system to support us during this challenging period.

“We apologise to anyone impacted by longer waits or by having to travel further to receive necessary care.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr said: “This announcement is deeply concerning and highlights NHS Grampian is at absolute breaking point.

“Lives are being put at risk, staff are under intolerable strain, and patients are bearing the brunt of the crisis that is continuing to unfold at the health board.

“It’s extremely worrying that ambulances are having to be diverted, in some cases hundreds of miles, to the Highlands and Tayside. This simply should not be happening.

“The turmoil at ARI and Dr Gray’s has been going on for far too long as NHS Grampian approaches yet another winter emergency.

“Patients deserve better, but have been let down by constant mismanagement at the hands of both NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government.

“Following years of false promises, the public have lost all trust in the SNP government to sort things, with many believing that merging NHS boards will escalate these problems, rather than improve them.

“As ARI and Dr Gray’s approach its busiest time of the year, the Scottish Government must work with NHS Grampian to produce an urgent recovery plan to address this worsening situation.”

We’ve asked the Scottish Government for a response.