A Scottish health board has declared a critical incident over "extreme pressure" on A&E services.

NHS Grampian said emergency departments at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin are struggling to cope with demand.

The board's Shantini Paranjothy said care services were also stretched and patient capacity had been reached prior to a local bank holiday on Monday.

She said some ambulances would be diverted to other regions including NHS Tayside and NHS Highland and patients may face "longer waits" to receive care.

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth said Health Secretary Angela Constance was working to provide support to NHS Grampian.

Paranjothy asked for friends and family of patients leaving hospitals to help "discharge them promptly" so beds could be freed up for those who need them.

It is the first such incident declared by the board since December 2024.

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."

Gilruth said NHS Grampian was among a number of health boards across the country facing "challenges".

She said the Scottish government was providing "record levels of funding" to boards, but that the current level of pressure made the case for further health reform.

Gilruth told BBC Scotland: "It's really important that we give that certainty to people who are engaged with the services locally and help to maintain the provision of level of services that people should be experiencing in their local communities.

"But I do think more broadly some of the financial challenges being faced by health boards at the current time do really make the case for wider health reform through our public service reform agenda."

She added: "In the short term I know the health secretary, working alongside officials, is engaged directly with NHS Grampian to help to provide support and we will continue to engage with heath boards at local level around alleviating those pressures."