// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Health board - situation is 'improving' after critical incident declaration
NHS Grampian said the A&E department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was under "extreme pressure"
NHS Grampian says conditions are improving after it declared a critical incident over "extreme pressure" on A&E services in two hospitals.
The incident was declared on Saturday after emergency departments at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin struggled to cope with demand.
An update earlier said no ambulances ambulances have had to divert to other health boards, as had been feared. The health board said colleagues at NHS Tayside remain on standby but both emergency departments are now better placed to support necessary care.
It is the first such incident declared by the board since December 2024.
In a statement, NHS Grampian said it expects increased demand on its services over the coming days, with many GPs and pharmacies closed for a local public holiday on Monday.
The board's Shantini Paranjothy said: "We will stand down from critical incident footing as soon as it is safe and practical to do so. Capacity within our hospitals remains challenged and extreme pressures on care within the community continue.
"We are pulling together with partners including NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), GMED and our health and social care staff across Grampian to make sure every possible resource is maximised and the delivery of care is as smooth as possible."
She asked patients worried about symptoms to call NHS 24 on 111 and thanked the teams working across the area for their support.
"We apologise to anyone whose care has taken longer than we would like this weekend and would encourage you to engage with your health and social care teams if you have any concerns," she added.