A north-east mother has launched an online petition in a bid to save a children’s drop-in clinic.
NHS Grampian will withdraw the service from Peterhead’s health centre next week, arguing the move is the result of new guidance for Scottish health visitors.
However, locals are angry that new mums and tots with minor health concerns with queries could now face waits of as long as two weeks to see a doctor.
Samantha Campbell only found out about the change when she brought her son to hospital for a check-up last week and saw a flyer.
She has now launched a petition which has attracted more than 500 signatures from fellow concerned parents.
Last night, she said the clinic sessions provided a “vital” service for children.
And she added: “I’ve used it personally.
“If you’ve just had a baby, or if they’re still under the health visitor scheme, you can take them along on the last Thursday of the month and have them weighed and raise any concerns.”
Previously, the clinic was run every Thursday, and Mrs Campbell relied on it to have her eldest son, now eight, referred to a speech therapist.
She said: “The waiting time just now for a non-emergency is about two weeks, so that drop-in is very helpful.
“New parents can have a lot of concerns and it is good to have peace of mind that you can just go in and have any fears allayed.”
Peterhead parents will now rely on pre-booked home appointments to speak to a health visitor.
Pauline Walker, who has signed the petition, wrote that the change will put babies and mothers “at risk”.
Natalie Taylor added: “I am signing it because I relied on these health visitors with my first child.”
A spokeswoman for NHS Grampian responded that evidence suggested home visits were “more beneficial”.
She added: “Therefore we are phasing out the clinic service to focus instead on home visits.
“We appreciate this change is disappointing for some. However, home visits have been well received and we believe families will find them more beneficial in the long run.”