NHS Grampian’s “30/30” project will require ambulances to unload patients into the Emergency Department within 30 minutes of arrival, and for them to be moved to a ward within another 30 minutes.

UNISON representatives have worked together with NHS Grampian to try to find ways of making this work safely. However, there are already many staff vacancies at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and a high incidence of staff sickness due to stress.

UNISON believes the initiative will result in unacceptable pressure on staff who already work over and above to deliver the best care in very difficult circumstances.

The new Standard Operating procedures suggest giving patients in corridors a handbell to attract attention.

Aberdeen Royal Infirmary already has significant amounts of corridor care, and UNISON believes if this plan goes ahead then many more patients will have to be treated within the corridors of wards, with insufficient staff trying to give appropriate care to too many patients at once.

Simon Watson, UNISON Regional Organiser, said: “Nobody likes to see ambulances queueing outside a hospital, but the reason is that there is not enough health staff to provide adequate care.

"Moving people inside the hospital will not conjure up more people to treat them."

UNISON calls for halt to 'risky' Aberdeen Royal Infirmary corridor care plan