NHS Grampian says Peterhead Hospital will soon return to full capacity

David Duguid MP has met with NHS Grampian bosses at a North East hospital amid concerns over a legionella outbreak which has resulted in the facility being closed since February.

The Banff and Buchan MP was given a tour of Peterhead Community Hospital to see the work which is being carried out to clear the bacteria that has led to the closure of some departments for almost eight months.

During the meeting which also involved hospital staff, Mr Duguid was told there have been issues with the layout of the pipework that have made certain “dead legs” involving water stagnation and legionella growth difficult to treat and are therefore taking more time.

Since the outbreak in February, the 17-bed Summers Ward has been closed, forcing patients to travel 20 miles to Fraserburgh for overnight care while the birthing pools at the maternity unit also remain out of service.

The Banff and Buchan MP was given a tour of Peterhead Community Hospital.

But NHS Grampian said it was making good progress to address the legionella issue which will see the return of both its birthing pools and Summers Ward to Peterhead as soon as possible.

Following the meeting, Mr Duguid said: "The meeting was very positive and offered me the chance to see first-hand the work NHS Grampian, Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and local staff are doing to resolve this troublesome issue which is impacting health provision in Peterhead.

"Having worked to resolve legionella outbreaks during my time in the oil and gas industry, I know how challenging it can be to eliminate the bacteria which can cause Legionnaires disease, a potentially serious type of pneumonia.

"From our discussions, everyone is keen to have Peterhead Community Hospital running at full capacity again – none more so than its fantastic staff.

"The process of getting rid of the bacteria has been difficult but thorough and I welcome the work which is being done to resolve the issue, which will hopefully be concluded soon.

"The partnership is aware of the impact this continued closure is having on patients and they know the importance of the hospital to the people of Peterhead.

"But I received positive assurances that the health board is making every effort to resolve the situation so services can return to the hospital as soon as possible."