Deep concern as some North East hospitals never inspected or not been inspected for over five years

A north-east MSP says it is ‘deeply concerning’ that some hospitals across the north-east have either never been inspected or not been inspected over the past five years.

Analysis from the Scottish Conservatives of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) data shows two hospitals in the NHS Grampian area – City Hospital in Aberdeen and Chalmers Hospital in Banff – have never been inspected.

Another seven, including Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, haven’t been checked in the last half-decade.

This is despite several concerns when they were last inspected such as equipment contaminated with blood not being cleaned properly and contaminated linen not handled property at the maternity hospital.

Tess White MSP says the figures are ‘deeply concerning’.

A further nine hospitals haven’t been inspected since 2019 despite each having six requirements placed upon them for improvements.

These include Kincardine Hospital in Stonehaven, Turriff Hospital, the Jubilee Hospital in Huntly and Aboyne Hospital.

Tess White, the shadow public health minister, said it’s “particularly shocking” that inspections are not being carried out when NHS Grampian is under immense pressure ahead of the winter period.

The Scottish Conservative MSP has now called on SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to take urgent action and guarantee North East hospitals will be regularly inspected for the safety of patients and staff.

Commenting on the situations, she said: “The fact hospitals in the North East have either never been inspected or have not been inspected for over five years is deeply concerning.

“Inspections play a vital role in ensuring that patients and staff in NHS Grampian know their hospital is operating as safely as possible.

“It’s particularly shocking to see these figures emerge at a time when our NHS is under immense pressure and facing the prospect of a truly terrifying winter period.

“The onus is on the SNP health secretary, who is already presiding over an A&E crisis in the North East, to get a grip of this situation.

“He must guarantee that hospitals across our region that have never – or not recently – been inspected, will be as a matter of urgency,” she added.