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Staff sickness was a major factor behind NHS Grampian critical incident, says chief executive
Overview
NHS Grampian chief executive Laura Skaife-Knight stated that high levels of staff sickness and extreme pressure on beds were major factors behind the board-level critical incident declared on 26 September. A&E departments at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Gray's in Elgin struggled with demand, leading to the decision to prioritise patient safety. The critical incident was stood down within days, and a full debrief is planned ahead of winter. Additionally, the chief executive addressed a separate security breach involving a man who admitted to fraud after posing as a medical student at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Key points
- NHS Grampian chief executive Laura Skaife-Knight confirmed that staff sickness was a major factor behind the critical incident declared last month.
- The board-level critical incident was declared on Saturday 26 September due to severe pressures and bed shortages at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Gray's in Elgin.
- Skaife-Knight emphasised that the primary reason for declaring the incident was to ensure patient safety.
- The critical incident was stood down by the following Monday at Aberdeen and Tuesday at Dr Gray's.
- NHS Grampian plans to conduct a full debrief and implement lessons learned into its winter planning.
- Skaife-Knight also addressed concerns regarding a security breach where a 22-year-old man admitted to fraud after posing as a medical student at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.