A new specialist hospital unit which aims to cut down admission times has been opened in Aberdeen.

It is hoped the unit, at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), will mean patients can avoid having to come into hospital the day before surgery.

Interim NHS Grampian chief executive professor Amanda Croft described the decision to open the Department of Scheduled Admissions as being the biggest alteration to patient admissions in decades.

“There is no doubt that it was a big step to take but the feedback from our patients has shown that it was clearly the right thing to do,” Professor Croft said.

“Not only is it the most effective and least disruptive way of doing things for the hospital, it is a lot more convenient for our patients and cuts out unnecessary stays the night before a surgery or procedure.

“The unit will also help reduce the current delays associated with preparing and transporting patients scheduled for surgery, as it is located right in the heart of ARI, with direct access to our main theatre suite.”

Alan Cooper, NHS Grampian, added: “We’ve already seen hundreds of patients throughout the pilot period and during the time we have been based in our temporary accommodation and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”