Anne from Lossiemouth says harrowing accounts of women giving birth by the side of the main road to hospital in Aberdeen make her think twice about starting a family in the region she loves.
She chose to share her story – like other women in the region – after we revealed some of the traumatic experiences mums across Moray face since the downgrade of Elgin’s maternity unit at Dr Gray’s Hospital.
The change means some women face either a 90-minute drive on the A96 to Aberdeen or a one-hour trip to Raigmore in Inverness.
We have documented two examples of ambulances having to stop on the way while women give birth – both within a six-month period.
The short term problem is clear but there are now wider concerns about long-term damage to communities, including new claims of a “lost generation in Moray”.
Campaigners already say some people have decided to move away from a region trying to avoid population decline.
And the anxieties led NHS Grampian to encourage pregnant women with concerns to speak with their midwife who can arrange a tour around the facilities at Dr Gray’s.
The health board, which plans to restore consultant-led care at the hospital in late 2026 or early 2027, said safety is the “first priority” during all births.
‘Putting it off a bit’
Anne, who did not want to give her full name, moved to Lossiemouth after her husband was posted there with the military.
The pair are expected to live in Moray for the next four years but face an agonising decision over whether to start a family while living there.
The 35-year-old fears that, because of her age, waiting another four years until they move elsewhere could mean it is “now or never”.
Dr Gray’s is a wonderful hospital and the people who work there are phenomenal.”
– Anne from Lossiemouth.
She said women learn about the situation in maternity care and are “putting it off a bit”.
Many of her friends face the same decision, which she described as “really the same worry that people locally face”.
In an interview with The Press and Journal, she said: “We have another nearly four years left but I’m 35 and we married later and we never had the opportunity to start a family before now.
“It’s kind of now or never but as we’re posted here we haven’t a choice in the matter.
“For my personal situation, I’m 35, I’m an older maternal age so chances are they’d tell me I absolutely have to give birth in Aberdeen.”
She added: “On the one hand do we put our lives at risk, baby’s life at risk, by getting pregnant now and having to go to Aberdeen, or do we put off having children?
“And in my case, that will probably mean putting off having children forever.
“It’s a tough decision to make.
“Dr Gray’s is a wonderful hospital and the people who work there are phenomenal.
“But it’s that ‘what if there’s complications’, ‘what if you don’t make it to Aberdeen’, ‘what if you’re on the side of the road and the baby has complications’ and all these tragedies that could happen.”
‘It’s still at the back of my mind’
Rebecca also lives in Lossiemouth with her husband, who is in the military.
They made the decision to try for a baby after moving to Elgin almost four years ago.
The “challenges” of giving birth further away convinced them of the need to have a plan to “somehow be in Aberdeen” if the time comes.
This could involve temporary accommodation in the city or putting plans in place before any due date to make sure they have access to transport.
Rebecca said the lack of consultant-led care in Moray “definitely” played into their decision-making.
She suffered an ectopic pregnancy in August, which is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
This results in the loss of a pregnancy and can have serious health implications if not treated.
LISTEN: Moray campaigners tell our podcast about the lack of maternity provision
On the situation in Moray, Rebecca said: “If I was to get pregnant again, we would make sure we put a plan in place to mitigate some of the challenges, whether that be the challenge of distance or of access to emergency care.”
“It’s still at the back of my mind, it’s always there, but equally I won’t let that stop us from having a family.
“But ultimately I know that if I do get pregnant it just comes with some more things to think about.”
What led to the downgrade?
A consultant-led maternity unit at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin was “temporarily” downgraded four and a half years ago.
The problem in Elgin was prompted by a lack of staff at the hospital with recruitment challenges continuing to this day – similar to many rural health boards.
The Press and Journal asked the first minister directly about the problems facing women in Moray during a press conference in Edinburgh on February 5.
Ms Sturgeon said the issue is “often around recruitment of professionals and clinicians” to ensure services can be provided safely.
She said work is “under way” to ensure “as much maternity care is provided as close to home as possible”.
As well as Moray, campaigners in Caithness have also long expressed their anger at having to travel over 100 miles to give birth in Inverness.
The SNP leader said there are “greater challenges in delivering safe and sustainable services in rural and remote parts of the country”.
She added: “But those challenges don’t mean we don’t have an obligation to ensure that work is done to both invest in and recruit in to these services so that they are safe and sustainable for the populations that rely on them.”
What about the wider community?
As a local activist, Neil Alexander is well versed on the situation facing pregnant women and families across Moray.
We’re at danger of facing a lost generation in Moray with the timescales.”
– Community councillor Neil Alexander
The 28-year-old, who lives in Elgin, said he and his partner as a young couple in the area will likely face “similar issues” in the future.
“In truth, the situation is pretty dire, I’ve spoken to a lot of local people and unfortunately a couple of them had to give birth in motorway lay-bys on the way to Aberdeen which is absolutely horrific,” Mr Alexander said.
“We’re at danger of facing a lost generation in Moray with the timescales.
“It’s still four years of people travelling along dangerous roads in winter on the A96.
“It’s just a tragedy waiting to happen.”
‘Impossible dilemma’
Kirsty Watson, spokesperson for campaign group Keep Mum, said it is “very sad” the current maternity service is affecting decisions to start a family.
She said: “We regularly hear from families who move to the area that they are very disappointed to discover that there is no specialist maternity facility in Elgin.
“The expectation is that a place of the size and population of Moray would have a consultant led maternity unit.
“People also tell us that the downgrade of the unit in 2018 contributed to their decision to move away from Moray.”
NHS Grampian commits to upgrade
We asked the health board about the concerns raised by multiple women locally.
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman said: “Expert advice and guidance is specific to the unique, clinical needs of mother and child. If it is likely to be required, consultant-led care is usually recommended well ahead of birth or in the very early stages of labour.
“Emergency transfer in the later stages of labour is rare and is only ever done in the best interests of mother and child.
“We are now working towards the development of full, sustainable, consultant-led maternity care at Dr Gray’s Hospital. Providing care as close to home as possible for Moray families who require more complex care in the antenatal period is the first step towards making that possible.”
Conversation