Staff accommodation at an NHS Grampian site is being closed as part of continuing cost-saving measures by the health board.
More than 100 rooms at the Woodend staff home – at present used by around 30 individuals – will be shut by December.
The board said it was not cost effective to bring them up to scratch and that the decision was made in part due to “the availability of high quality, well priced accommodation within Aberdeen City”.
But a patient’s group said the board – which has the closure on its agenda for a meeting today – was “cutting corners” that would not help with its staffing crisis.
PACT spokesman Jamie Weir said: “Not having this accommodation is not going to help with retention and recruitment, and we know there is a retention and recruitment problem at NHS Grampian, so this will not ease the situation at all.
“One does have a feeling that they’re looking to cut corners everywhere.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “Woodend includes 103 rooms on the first and second floor of the building that provide staff accommodation.
“64 of these rooms are currently fit for use. Occupancy rates vary as it mainly provides short term accommodation – just 15 rooms have been let for longer than six months.
“Significant maintenance work is required to the upper floors to ensure the accommodation meets relevant standards.
“Given the low occupancy of the building, this is not considered to be a sensible or efficient use of NHS resources.
“As a result, the houses of multiple occupancy license will not be renewed in April 2018, and it is our intention to close the staff accommodation elements of the upper floors by the end of the year.”
She said the affected accommodation was not used by on-call doctors.
NHS Grampian is locked in a planning battle with the city council over plans to build key worker flats near Aberdeen Royal Infirmary – arguing the affordable properties are needed to attract much-needed new staff.
It has not ruled out revisiting the plans, despite citing improvements in the housing market as part of the Woodend decision.
The spokeswoman added: “Whilst more affordable accommodation residential options are beginning to open up in the city, for many the option of providing this adjacent to the Foresterhill Campus will be a very attractive option – particularly so for those moving to the city for the first time.
“We continue to explore our options around key worker housing.”