NHS Grampian facing "high risk" safety issues as maintenance backlog hits
ARI and the Maternity Hospital are both affected
Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary both have "high risk" issues with fire codes and health and safety.
It's part of a maintenance backlog estimated at close to a billion pounds across the NHS in Scotland.
An investigation by Northsound News previously found dozens of health board buildings to be in need of urgent repair.
A spokesperson for NHS Grampian said: ""Our estate comprises a wide range of buildings and land on more than 90 operational sites across Grampian with a total floor area of around 382,000 sq m.
"Modern healthcare facilities are complex and regulatory standards are continually evolving and becoming more rigourous.
"NHS Grampian's annual spend on backlog maintenance is limited and is therefore directed to the most significant and high risk issues.
"We are still reviewing our priorities for the current financial year around backlog maintenance investment.
"The buildings in the estate cover a wide age spectrum, with some of dating back to the Victorian period, and maintaining the estate to these standards is a complex and expensive task.
"The backlog maintenance programme is intended to address evolving standards, avoid unused or unsatisfactory facilities and keep them both safe and operational for staff and patients."
Research by the Scottish Conservatives has brought this issue to light.
Tory Shadow Health Secretary Miles Briggs said: “We tend to focus on what goes on in hospitals and less so on the quality of buildings provided.
“But this shows that, right across Scotland, there are NHS buildings in a desperate state.
“And the Scottish Government can’t simply brush these off as disused or administrative facilities.
“They quite clearly include maternity hospitals, mental health facilities and paediatric units.
“This will be of concern to both patients and staff, who at the very least deserve to work in a safe and comfortable environment.
“There are real question marks hanging over the life expectancy of some of our NHS buildings."