EXCLUSIVE: Dr Gray’s Hospital surgeries to be moved to Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen amid “unplanned absences” among key staff
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MORE than one hundred surgeries planned to take place in Elgin will be moved to Aberdeen due to “unplanned absences” among staff members in the orthopaedic team at Dr Gray’s Hospital, NHS Grampian has confirmed.
Sources, who described the news as a “major blow”, informed The Northern Scot earlier this week that patients in Moray will need to travel to Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen to undergo orthopaedic surgery.
The health board says the decision, which it added will be a temporary solution, has been made due to the absence of a number of “key” staff members at Dr Gray’s but did not confirm what positions these staff members hold.
NHS Grampian has since apologised for what it acknowledged is an “inconvenience” for patients in Moray.
Alasdair Pattinson, hospital general manager at Dr Gray’s, said: “We currently have an exceptional number of unplanned absences among key staff in the orthopaedic team.
“As a result, rather than delay treatment for patients, we’ve made the difficult decision to move some surgeries to Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen over the next three months.
“We fully understand this will cause inconvenience for affected patients – and I’d like to apologise directly to each of them for that.
“This is a temporary change which is due to exceptional circumstances.
“We anticipate this will affect around 160 planned, elective, patients during that period - plus a number of unplanned, trauma patients.”
Mr Pattinson confirmed that Ward 6, the orthopaedic ward at the hospital, will remain open despite the disruption.
He also confirmed that patients affected will be contacted directly to inform them of any changes to appointments.
Mr Pattinson added: “So far this year, Dr Gray’s Hospital orthopaedic team has undertaken more than 1250 surgeries in total and hundreds of local patients will continue to be seen, treated or undergo operations in Moray during the coming months.
“Ward 6 at Dr Gray’s Hospital will remain open throughout this period and the team here will still provide treatment and follow-up care for a range of non-operative trauma as well as hip fractures.
“We will communicate directly with affected patients to inform them of the details of any changes to appointments and dates for planned surgery.”
