David Duguid MP has written to NHS Grampian about the reopening of Turriff Cottage Hospital and to ask when the facility’s minor injury unit (MiU) will resume.
It was reported last week that the local hospital had re-opened to admissions after it was closed due to a spate of Covid-19 cases in December.
The MiU has been closed since March last year due to Coronavirus restrictions.
The member for Banff and Buchan has also asked health chiefs if the hospital will be used in the coming months as a local Covid vaccination centre.
The site was originally expected to be one of several local vaccination centres across Aberdeenshire, but people living in Turriff have been sent to Macduff for jabs, while the town’s over-80s were vaccinated at the town’s sports centre and those living in some surrounding areas have been sent to Aberdeen.
Scottish Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan David Duguid said:
“I was pleased to see reports that Turriff Hospital had reopened to admissions following an outbreak of positive Covid cases at the end of last year.
“Residents of Turriff found themselves with extremely limited medical cover during the past two months due to the ongoing closure of the MiU. This was compounded by the location of vaccination centres in Macduff and Aberdeen and the ongoing issues around ambulance response times.
“I have asked NHS Grampian to confirm the re-opening of the hospital, along with any restrictions that have been imposed on its operation.
“However, I, along with many others in Turriff, am also keen to find out when the MiU will be re-opening.
“I have always campaigned to protect local health facilities in Banff and Buchan, and I do not want to see any downgrading in Turriff or anywhere else. The MiUs in Turriff and Banff provide a vital service.
“I have also raised the question of whether Turriff Hospital might be used as a vaccination centre in the coming months.
“I understand that was the original plan before the Covid outbreak at the hospital, and I have said on many occasions that I didn’t think it was fair that people living around Turriff in places like Fyvie have been forced to drive to Aberdeen to get their jabs.”