NHS Grampian confirms orthopaedic surgeries still being moved to Aberdeen from Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin five months after ‘temporary change’

NHS Grampian says it cannot give a “definitive timeline” on when orthopaedic surgeries will return to Dr Gray’s Hospital.

The health board said in May that more than 100 surgeries which were planned to take place in Elgin would be moved to Aberdeen due to an “exceptional number of unplanned absences” among key staff members in the orthopaedic team.

Alasdair Pattinson, hospital general manager at Dr Gray’s, said at the time that the measure was a “temporary change” which was anticipated to remain in place for three months.

But a Freedom of Information request sent by The Northern Scot has revealed that a range of orthopaedic procedures which could previously have been carried out in Elgin are still taking place in Aberdeen.

The response to the request reads: “The staffing challenges unfortunately remain and therefore, during this time the current service will continue to only provide care for both adult and paediatric patients presenting with emergency problems and who require follow-up care and will specifically continue to undertake hip trauma operative procedures, namely fractured neck of femur operations.

“Patients requiring other emergency operations will be managed by the orthopaedic teams at Aberdeen hospitals.

“Those patients currently requiring planned procedures, for example hip and knee replacements, have been added to the NHS Grampian waiting list and will also have their surgery at another centre during the time of the review.

“It is possible, depending on the clinical urgency of each procedure, that some patients will now have to wait a bit longer than might have otherwise been the case, however this will mean that all patients waiting for planned operations across the Grampian region will be treated fairly.”

NHS Grampian says it cannot reveal what positions the currently absent staff members hold or the reason for their absence for “confidentiality reasons”.

There is currently no indication as to when these operations will return to Dr Gray’s Hospital with the health board adding that it cannot give a “definitive timeline at this time”.