NHS Grampian has apologised after 13 routine operations were postponed this month due to theatre staffing shortages.
The health board said delays to the non-emergency procedures were a “last resort” amid difficulties filling nursing vacancies.
As many as 147 operations were cancelled over November and December at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
NHS Grampian bosses blamed “ongoing theatre staffing challenges and winter pressures, not budgetary constraints” for the operation cancellations.
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian said: “We apologise to any patients whose procedures have had to be re-scheduled.
“Postponement of an operation is never a decision that is taken lightly and we will always explore every opportunity to avoid this situation.”
She said there are more than 30,000 operations carried out each year in the area, with the number postponed usually between 1% and 2%.
The spokeswoman added: “Rearranging elective procedures is a last resort for us and is done according to clinical prioritisation: our most clinically urgent patients will still be seen.
“When providing staff for a theatre list of operations on any given day, the theatre nurses must meet the needs and skills required for that speciality and have enough knowledge to act as a skilled practitioner to maintain safe practice.
“Vacancies have been difficult to fill due to the requirement to try and train staff in what is a complex area of nursing. Normally when staffing is at a sufficient level, staff rotate specialities, gaining more knowledge and skills in a variety of different areas and subsequently building more resilience into the service.”
