Emergency services across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray are advising people to be prepared this year and offer advice on how to stay well.
Offering a handy checklist of important phone numbers and helpful things to have during a power cut, services are giving tips to ensure people “stay safe, warm and well”.
The co-ordinated appeal comes while NHS Grampian has faced overwhelming pressure on its services in recent months.
Taking to Twitter over New Year in a desperate plea for staff help, the health board has said it is struggling with the numbers of patients in hospital and needing care.
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and home care services are understood to be under the most pressure.
Between Christmas and New Year, 160 A&E patients across Grampian waited more than 12 hours to be seen. Some spent the majority of that in an ambulance queue.
It is thought the increasing pressure is a result of an increase in acutely ill patients needing treatment, a rise in Covid cases over the festive period and difficulties in discharging patients.
Planning gives ‘peace of mind’
While Scottish Government health chief Humza Yousaf admitted the full recovery of the NHS “will take years”, it is hoped by equipping residents to be more prepared, it will help take pressure off already struggling services.
NHS Grampian’s director of infrastructure and sustainability who has a lead role in civil contingency planning, Paul Allen, said: “Prevention is better than cure and this includes public preparedness for emergencies.
“Not only does planning offer some peace of mind, it can also help take pressure off services so they can help those most in need during difficult times.”
Power cuts preparation
For those seeking help or those in a position to help offer support, visit NHS Grampian’s Winter Support page or Ready Scotland’s website which includes a template for an emergency checklist.
Due to storms and winter weather, many homes across the north-east can also face power cuts which can leave people in difficult situations.
Shona Horn, SSEN distribution’s customer relationship manager, said there were some places to get additional support.
She said: “We invest millions of pounds every year to make sure that our network delivers a safe and reliable supply of electricity for all our customers.
“But even with this investment there are still occasions when the power goes off, and so we want to help our customers to be as resilient as possible at times like these, while our teams work hard to get supplies restored.”
Customers can sign up to the SSEN Priority Services Register for those needing extra support during a power cut. Especially for residents who rely on essential medical equipment.