Health board declares critical incident over ‘extreme’ A&E pressure
Paranjothy said: “We are working alongside key partners including the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Tayside, and NHS Highland, to take all necessary steps, including diverting ambulances only where absolutely necessary to ensure all patients are safe and well cared for.
“We apologise to anyone impacted by longer waits or by having to travel further to receive necessary care.”
The Scottish government defines a critical incident as any localised disruption which results in a board “losing its ability to deliver critical services, or, where patients and staff may be at risk of harm”.
The last critical incident declared in Scotland was due to an IT fault at NHS Highland in June 2025.
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Liam Kerr described the move as “deeply concerning”.
“Lives are being put at risk, staff are under intolerable strain, and patients are bearing the brunt of the crisis that is continuing to unfold at the health board,” he said.
“It’s extremely worrying that ambulances are having to be diverted, in some cases hundreds of miles, to the Highlands and Tayside. This simply should not be happening.”
The Scottish government has been contacted for comment
