MP calls for Peterhead MIU staff to help out in Banff and Turriff
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Staff impacted by the temporary closure of Peterhead Community Hospital should be utilised for the full opening of Banff and Turriff minor injuries units, an MP has said.
Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has written to NHS Grampian asking if it will consider fully opening the units at Banff and Turriff in a bid to ease pressure on Fraserburgh Hospital which is having to take patients from Peterhead.
It comes after an update given by NHS Grampian today (Friday, March 10) said it did not have a “defined timescale” for how long Peterhead Community Hospital would be closed for after Legionella was found in the water supply.
As a result, the health board has moved minor injury and GMED services offsite to Fraserburgh “for just now”.
Turriff and Banff minor injury units partially opened last year having been closed since the start of lockdown in early 2020.
They currently do not offer a 24/7 walk-in service and people who have a minor injury can only attend if they have been given an appointment on a certain day following a call to NHS24.
On the continued closure of Peterhead, Mr Duguid said: “It’s alarming for the community to hear that there hasn’t been a date set for Peterhead reopening.
“The temporary loss of these vital services is having a substantial negative impact on the town, particularly those who are the most vulnerable in our society.
“For the sake of patients, it’s vital NHS Grampian addresses the water issue so Peterhead Community Hospital can finally open again.”
On staff being used at Turriff MIU, Mr Duguid said: “I am continually being told Banff and Turriff can’t open at full capacity because they don’t have enough staff which is why residents are rightly wondering if these workers from Peterhead can be used in these areas.
“Some patients have said they are living in fear because they can’t access their local MIU due to staffing issues.
“These facilities provide a lifeline service to people in and around Banff and Turriff which is why it's vital they return to full capacity and I believe staff at Peterhead can help to make this happen, even if it is on a temporary basis.”
A letter to Mr Duguid from Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We do not yet have a defined timescale for how long the remedial works are likely to take at Peterhead and you can be assured that our estates colleagues are working very hard to complete, what is a huge task, as quickly as they can.”
It added: “Anyone requiring urgent care out-of-hours should call 111 where they will be directed to the most appropriate service at the closest location.”
