First minister quizzed as hospital chiefs say sorry for queues at A&E

NHS Grampian issued an urgent plea to the public yesterday to attend A&E only in life-threatening situations as the health board faces mounting pressures.

A photograph taken at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) showed at least 13 ambulances waiting outside accident and emergency (A&E).

The health board posted on X, formerly Twitter: “The emergency department at ARI continues to be extremely busy and long waits are to be expected. Members of the public are reminded only to attend the emergency department if the situation is life-threatening.”

Quizzed on the issue during a visit to Aberdeen yesterday, First Minister Humza Yousaf said that turnaround times at the flagship hospital are “not acceptable”.

Mr Yousaf said: “The concern here is we’re still seeing a significant number of people delayed in being discharged from hospital and that is disturbing the entire flow of the hospital.

“I know ARI – I’ve seen a note recently – are taking a number of actions to address ambulance turnaround times. It has to be said I’m looking to see some significant improvement from ARI and to see that improvement very soon.”

A spokesperson for NHS Grampian apologised to “anyone who has been impacted”, saying the issue was “challenging”.

They added: “Our hospitals are currently facing sustained pressure due to the volume of acutely ill patients arriving, bed availability and staffing pressures.

“This can unfortunately lead to ambulances having to wait at the front door, as we are unable to admit more patients to the department.”

At least 13 ambulances were stuck at ARI yesterday.