Dr Gray’s Hospital admissions at accident and emergency doubled on a treacherously icy day last month.
A total of 149 people presented at the department, many with injuries and fractures after slipping on ice.
Statistics published by NHS Grampian show people aged between 60 and 75 were most affected.
About one in five of those who visited A&E needed to be admitted to hospital.
The numbers from December 4 were discussed at a meeting of the Moray Integration Joint Board today.
One of those taken to the Elgin hospital was a male driver of a lorry who crashed into a house on the town’s Convener Street.
A car was also hit before the vehicle smashed into the building that was unoccupied at the time.
Hospital general manager Alasdair Pattinson told the meeting the number was double the amount staff would see on an average day.
He called for greater community involvement to help reduce incidents of people falling and injuring themselves in icy conditions.
Majority fell on ice outside their homes
Mr Pattinson said: “A total of 149 people came through the front door of the hospital, compared to half that normally.
“The majority of them were suffering trauma as a result of a fall.
“Generally they took place outside people’s homes as they went out to do their day to day business.”
Mr Pattinson added the increased numbers at accident and emergency put additional pressures on other areas in the hospital and rehabilitation services.
He asked what work is taking place with community councils and community planning partners to reduce the numbers of falls in icy weather.
Mr Pattinson was told community resilience planning is ongoing with the organisations so they can help vulnerable people during bad weather or other incidents.
Forres councillor Scott Lawrence said the local authority had priority routes that were treated first in cold conditions.
Grit bins across Moray ready to be used on icy days
And grit bins were placed in various locations across Moray for people to use.
But he encouraged anyone who thought areas were being missed to get in touch with the Moray Council.
Mr Lawrence also praised the dedication of workers who went above and beyond during recent cold spells.
He said: “It was all hands to the pumps, and it shows how much health and social care staff care.”
Driver in hospital after lorry crashes into New Elgin home following skid on icy road
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