Surgical operations at Dr Gray’s Hospital have been postponed for a second week.
Health bosses were forced to cancel all elective surgeries last week after a dislodged drainage pipe caused a substantial leak in three of the hospital’s four operating theatres.
A full-scale clean-up has been under way in an effort to restore the Moray hospital to working order.
One operating theatre has now been brought back into use as the remaining two stay closed.
All elective surgeries have been postponed this week, with only emergency surgeries being conducted.
Patient safety remains top priority
Maternity services have also returned to normal as the birthing pool in ward three has reopened.
Dr Gray’s Hospital general manager Alasdair Pattinson has apologised for the disruption this has caused patients.
He said: “What’s most important is that we continue to put the safety of our staff and patients first and we are making good progress in getting everything back up and running as soon as we can.
“The disruption has clearly generated significant inconvenience for patients, relatives, and staff alike and I would like to extend my apologies once again to everyone whose treatment has been postponed or provided in a health care setting elsewhere.”
What work is still being done at Dr Gray’s?
NHS Grampian health officials carried out assessments on the theatre’s equipment and infrastructure to establish the extent of the damage.
The damaged pipework has been repaired and restored, with plans to modernise the plumbing system now being rolled out.
Industrial level cleaning has also been carried out on the facilities over the course of the last week as further deep cleaning of rooms and equipment remains ongoing.
The theatre’s ventilation systems has also been checked as all the IT systems are brought back online.
However, the operating theatres will remain off limits until further notice as an examination of the air quality is conducted.
NHS Grampian says infection control and prevention remains a “priority.”
Further updates are expected in the coming days.
Mr Pattinson said the entire operation has been a “team effort.”
He added: “Thank you to my whole team here at Dr Gray’s as well as everyone who’s supporting us from across NHS Grampian. It is very much a team effort and the hours, the commitment put in doesn’t go unnoticed.”
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