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NHS Grampian to meet with local officials over maternity services in Moray

Dr Gray's Hospital has not provided maternity care since 2018. Picture by Jason Hedges.
Dr Gray's Hospital has not provided maternity care since 2018. Picture by Jason Hedges.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has welcomed plans for NHS Grampian to visit Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin to review maternity services in the area.

The health board will meet with elected officials in Moray to brief them on the interim plan for maternity services in Elgin.

Expectant mums have been forced to travel to Aberdeen or Inverness to give birth for more than three years after Dr Gray’s consultant-led service was put on hold due to shortages.

Just two weeks ago, a woman was forced to give birth on the side of the A96 Elgin to Aberdeen after being turned away and told to go to Aberdeen.

Almost three-quarters of births have been referred to Aberdeen or Inverness since the maternity unit was “temporarily” downgraded in 2018.

NHS Grampian has confirmed that senior management will meet with the Maternity Voices Partnership, Keep MUM, and other representatives on Friday, July 1.

‘Ramp up efforts to rebuild the service’

Mr Lochhead said: “NHS Grampian has confirmed it will set out interim plans for restoring maternity services in Moray and I welcome plans to brief community representatives this week prior to its publication.

“The ongoing issues around maternity services at Dr Gray’s is a top priority for people in Moray and NHS Grampian has been given clear direction from the Scottish Government that a consultant-led service must be reinstated.

“We need to see NHS Grampian ramp up efforts to rebuild the service and also to rebuild trust within the local community.

“We must get back to a place where the majority of women in Moray are able to give birth at Dr Gray’s and the interim plans need to demonstrate that the health board will work at pace to ensure this happens as soon as possible.

“I hope that the interim plans will also outline how the health board intends to use the £5m funding from the Scottish Government for investment at Dr Gray’s.”

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