The Scottish Government has pledged to do “all it can” to maintain services at Moray’s only maternity unit – but has warned it “must be safe”.
Training programmes have been halved for advanced nurse practitioners in an attempt to get staff into posts to ease recruitment crises across the country.
However, specialist services at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin have been temporarily downgraded due to a staff shortage.
The move means that all high and low-risk child births are being transferred to either Aberdeen or Inverness with NHS Grampian warning the disruption could last up to a year.
About 150 people attended a public meeting in Elgin Town Hall last week where health bosses explained they had used “sticking plasters” to prevent a downgrade at the unit for at least five years.
Following the talks, Moray MP Douglas Ross challenged the Scottish Government over what action had been taken to alleviate the threat of the downgrade.
A government spokeswoman said: “Elgin and other hospitals have had medical staffing challenges for many years, certainly dating back to the 1990s, but this government has and will continue to do all we can to secure and maintain local services – but they must be safe.
“We have agreed to shorten the training of a number of advanced nurse practitioners from two years to one year in order that these nurses can contribute to the safe running of a paediatric and neonatal service as soon as possible.
“We are working to recruit new talent and retain existing staff to provide the right skills and experience to meet patient demand.”