Staff will be quizzed on their thoughts about the lay-out and services at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin as part of a wider improvement plan.
NHS Grampian wants to future-proof the hospital for years to come, and has tasked the property and asset development team will assessing the space, quality and function of the site.
This will help identify what improvements and changes are needed to ensure the hospital and its services are fit for purpose now and in the future.
As part of the project, asset management specialists will conduct four weeks of one-to-one interviews with staff as well as a detailed analysis of the space for their report.
Services at Dr Gray’s have been under scrutiny in recent years, following the downgrading of its consultant-led maternity unit in 2018 due to a lack of junior doctors.
Scores of mums now need to travel to Aberdeen or Inverness to give birth, although last month the health board said they hope to resume services by the end of 2026 or early 2027 if enough staff can be found.
As well as this, pressures on the NHS led to a number of ambulances lining up outside its emergency department at the start of the month.
‘Consider whether the spaces meet the requirements for patients and staff’
General manager of Dr Gray’s, Alasdair Pattinson said: “We are listening and acting on the feedback we have received from colleagues and the wider community as part of the development of our strategic plan for the hospital.
“The property and asset development team will consider whether the different areas across the hospital site are being under or overused, whether spaces are being used to their full potential and they will look at the size of spaces, as well as the accessibility of spaces.
“They will also assess the general quality of the spaces across all site locations and consider whether the spaces meet the requirements for patients and staff.
“It will be particularly helpful to have this expert, in-depth support to re-evaluate whether functions and departments are in the right place, whether the set up works for neighbouring teams and look again at what would help improve patient flow in and out of the hospital. We are really pleased to see this work getting under way.”
The study will help shape a business case for investment as part of the overall Dr Gray’s development framework.
NHS Grampian’s head of property and asset development, Gerry Donald added: “We’re looking forward to working with colleagues across the hospital to take an impartial look at what work needs to be done to best support the teams.
“We’ll review the space departments have, how well areas function and assess the quality of the accommodation from a patient and staff perspective.”
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