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 he was deeply concerned.

He said: “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.”

The health secretary said that A&E pressures are impacted by bed blocking and she has have published a new national plan to improve the flow of patients through hospitals.

She added the Scottish Government has provided £90 million of funding to support those waiting the longest for treatment.

Angela Constance said: “The Scottish Government is committed to improving A&E performance and tackling long delays.

“While the challenges facing Scotland are not unique compared to the rest of the UK, I am focused on ensuring people get the care they need as quickly as possible and the status quo cannot continue.

“That is why I have published a new national plan to improve the flow of patients through hospitals and why we have provided £90 million of dedicated funding to support those waiting the longest for treatment.

“It is also why our reforms of the NHS will focus directly on improving services for patients and removing the current bureaucratic barriers in place.

“It is important to acknowledge that pressures on our A&E are impacted by the delayed discharge of patients into social care settings.

“Not all of this is in the gift of the Scottish Government, with local government responsible for the delivery of social care, so it is vital we work closely with Councils and social care providers to reform the system as a whole to meet the needs of people.”