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Elgin accident and emergency admissions double on treacherously icy day

A total of 149 people presented at Dr Gray's, many with injuries and fractures after slipping on ice.

Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin
Dr Gray's Hospital saw 149 people attend accident and emergency on an icy day in December - twice as many as usual. Image Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Dr Gray’s Hospital admissions at accident and emergency doubled on a treacherously icy day last month.

A total of 149 people presented at the department, many with injuries and fractures after slipping on ice.

Statistics published by NHS Grampian show people aged between 60 and 75 were most affected.

About one in five of those who visited A&E needed to be admitted to hospital.

The numbers from December 4 were discussed at a meeting of the Moray Integration Joint Board today.

Lorry with crumpled front after crashing into a house on Convener Street in New Elgin last year due to icy roads.
A lorry driver was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital after crashing into a house on Convener Street  in New Elgin on December 4 last year. Image: David Mackay/DC Thomson.

One of those taken to the Elgin hospital was a male driver of a lorry who crashed into a house on the town’s Convener Street.

A car was also hit before the vehicle smashed into the building that was unoccupied at the time.

Hospital general manager Alasdair Pattinson told the meeting the number was double the amount staff would see on an average day.

He called for greater community involvement to help reduce incidents of people falling and injuring themselves in icy conditions.

Majority fell on ice outside their homes

Mr Pattinson said: “A total of 149 people came through the front door of the hospital, compared to half that normally.

“The majority of them were suffering trauma as a result of a fall.

“Generally they took place outside people’s homes as they went out to do their day to day business.”

Mr Pattinson added the increased numbers at accident and emergency put additional pressures on other areas in the hospital and rehabilitation services.

Icy conditions in Land Street, New Elgin at the beginning of December.
Icy conditions in Land Street, New Elgin at the beginning of December. Image: David Mackay/DC Thomson.

He asked what work is taking place with community councils and community planning partners to reduce the numbers of falls in icy weather.

Mr Pattinson was told community resilience planning is ongoing with the organisations so they can help vulnerable people during bad weather or other incidents.

Forres councillor Scott Lawrence said the local authority had priority routes that were treated first in cold conditions.

Grit bins across Moray ready to be used on icy days

And grit bins were placed in various locations across Moray for people to use.

But he encouraged anyone who thought areas were being missed to get in touch with the Moray Council.

Mr Lawrence also praised the dedication of workers who went above and beyond during recent cold spells.

He said: “It was all hands to the pumps, and it shows how much health and social care staff care.”

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