Scores of patients have been hospitalised after slipping on ice as a cold snap has left Aberdeen roads and pavements in a dangerous state for days.
The number of people admitted at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on Tuesday after falling rocketed to 56.
By comparison, only five patients were treated for slips, trips and falls across all NHS Grampian facilities the previous Tuesday.
Since the snow showers swept in after New Year, around a combined 200 people have been taken to hospital in Aberdeen and Elgin with injuries caused by taking a tumble.
By last Thursday, January 2, Aberdeen was covered with a thick blanket of snow – and various areas have been left in a treacherous condition since then.
While the council has been gritting primary routes, many streets have been left untreated since the wintry weather began.
Why are so few streets being gritted?
Cash-strapped Aberdeen City Council has agreed to provide only “a basic level of winter maintenance” this year.
Papers signed off as the winter loomed argued this was all the local authority could afford.
However, officials said this would still be above the “minimum level” they legally need to carry out.
Documents said this was due to “material costs and uplifts in labour rates and fuel costs”.
But it could be more than just that to blame.
How have changing weather trends impacted Aberdeen gritting?
During the same meeting, councillors were told how climate change was making things trickier for gritting teams.
Officials explained that drastically different weather conditions could be hitting Aberdeen “simultaneously”.
They added: “Officers have had to deal with heavy rainfall causing flooding to the east of the city, whilst snowfall persists in the west.
“These competing demands present complex logistical challenges.”
What’s more, rising temperatures during the day can see snow melt, before freezing again at night.
The papers state: “Historically, an early morning grit was often sufficient to treat routes for a 24-hour period.
“However the recent weather patterns have seen regular requirements for routes to be
treated multiple times through the day.”
This means more gritter runs are required across the primary network – explaining why secondary areas go neglected.
‘More people than necessary are in hospital’
Social media has been awash with complaints about streets being left snowbound for days on end.
He added: “How many of those in Aberdeen’s packed ARI are there because of slips, trips and falls during the winter? More than necessary I would bet.
“It’s not too much to ask to want to be able to get around as normal.”
What has council been doing?
Aberdeen City Council has stressed that the “primary routes” being gritted account for more than 50% of the city’s roads network.
Gritters have been deployed since 4am to treat these busier roads.
And today the local authority gritted various “secondary routes” and pavements in areas categorised as “priority two”.
Have you had issues with the lack of gritting in some places? Let us know in our comments section below
Plea for people to ‘stay at home’
And wary of more people becoming injured, the council has issued a social media plea for “vulnerable or elderly” people to stay indoors.
Good Samaritans have been encouraged to do their bit by salting pavements around their neighbourhood.
The message states: “For the more-abled bodied among us, could you check on your vulnerable or elderly neighbours if they need anything.
“Consider salting your neighbourhood roads and pavements.”
NHS Grampian added that all fall-related injuries are included in their statistics, rather than just those caused by the weather.
A spokesman said that falls are what they would “expect so far” for this time of year.
Read more:
Temperatures to plummet to -15C in north and north-east: How cold is your area?
Aberdeenshire residents furious as grit bin REMOVED during ‘worst winter in 10 years’
Flu patients occupying almost ‘one-in-15 beds’ at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
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