Paediatric surgery at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin might not be restored until the end of December, NHS Grampian's chief executive has said.
Planned dental and ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures were suspended last week.
It later emerged that emergency surgeries had been suspended since June, a decision that was not made public at the time.
Laura Skaife-Knight has apologised to patients and their families and said the decision to pause the children's surgical services was made on "quality and safety grounds".
During a visit to Elgin, Health Secretary Angela Constance said Dr Gray's was a "good hospital" but added that she understood families' frustration with the situation.
NHS Grampian said 10 dental cases and six ENT cases were affected.
The six ENT appointments have been rebooked for September and the BBC has asked where these will be.
Skaife-Knight told BBC Scotland News: "We took the decision a few months ago to pause paediatric surgery on quality and safety grounds as a precautionary measure.
"We are now looking for assurance around certain aspects of staffing, training and governance in the hope that getting that assurance, we can restore paediatric surgery at Dr Gray's Hospital by the end of December."
She added: "We want to apologise to those patients and families who have been affected."
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Skaife-Knight said NHS Grampian "fell short" in making it more widely known emergency services were suspended in June.
She said the priority at the time had been patient safety.
Following her visit to Dr Gray's, Angela Constance said the suspension of the procedures would be "disappointing and frustrating" for local families.
She said: "I have been very clear to the board and hospital managers about my expectation and my expectation is that as soon as it is safe to do so, that we see the full restoration of paediatric surgical services."