An Aberdeenshire maternity unit has reopened following a legionella outbreak last month.
NHS Grampian confirmed that the bacteria had been detected at Peterhead Community Hospital which led to the closure of certain departments, including A&E.
The maternity unit has now reopened to patients following a four-week closure, but the the birthing pool is still unavailable.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “We are pleased to confirm it will be possible for births to take place once again at Peterhead Community Maternity Unit.
“While it will not be possible to offer pool births for the moment, measures have been taken to make other services available, such as showing facilities.
“Risk control measures remain in place following the detection of legionella in the water system and there remains a great deal of work to be done in other areas of the hospital to ensure issues with the water system can be resolved.
“This means there will be planned times when remedial work is being carried out and it may be necessary to pause birth services.
“All women who wish to use the service are receiving individualised care planning and midwives will liaise with them directly with any changes.”
Minor injury unit remains closed for now
The minor injury unit at Peterhead remains closed but Aberdeenshire Health and Social Partnership has said it will return in the future.
A spokeswoman added: “We are clear that this is a service that will return to Peterhead as soon as we are able to and that there is no suggestion that this service will not return to Peterhead.”
Until then, patients will be advised to visit Fraserburgh Community Hospital – more than 18 miles away.
Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has expressed concerns about the “lack of clarity” on when the Peterhead unit will reopen.
He said: “I welcome the reopening of Peterhead’s maternity unit which will come as a relief to pregnant women in the town and the surrounding area.
“The facility at Peterhead is invaluable to expectant mothers and I’m glad they have received assurances that the local maternity unit will be there for them when needed.
“It’s now important NHS Grampian reopens the birthing pool facility as soon as possible to ensure women have all options available to them in their home community.
“However, I’m extremely concerned over the lack of clarity on Peterhead’s minor injuries unit which still remains closed.
“The unit is the busiest in Aberdeenshire, provides a valuable service for residents and helps to relieve the burden on accident and emergency in Aberdeen.
“But I am worried there may be a temptation to keep the facility permanently closed as we have seen elsewhere which would be catastrophic for the town.
“I will now be pushing for clarity on the future of Peterhead, as well as units in Turriff and Banff, to ensure they are centred upon health care needs and not management needs.”
Special measures
The confirmation of legionella at the Buchan hospital followed concerns about water quality at the site.
The discovery lead to a number of measures being put in place to keep those visiting the hospital safe.
Legionella is a bacterium which can cause the Legionnaires’ disease, a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water.
It is rare but can be very serious.
Filters were added to taps and shower heads across the hospital site and health centre to make sure the water is safe for use.
Staff were also making sure all toilets were being flushed with the lid down and advising a 20-minute “grace period” between uses.
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