Moray MP Douglas Ross says his “significant fears” over the future of maternity services at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin have “largely failed” to be alleviated following NHS Grampian outlining their plans to deliver the return of consultant-led services at the hospital.
The board have outlined their draft proposals ahead of a meeting tomorrow (Thursday) which would deliver ‘Model 6’ and allow mums in Moray to give birth in their own area, rather than having to travel to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness or Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
However, Douglas says he is “hugely disappointed” that the return of consultant-led births will not take place until the end of 2026, or even 2027. That would mean the temporary downgrade of maternity services at Dr Gray’s would have lasted for over eight years, even if the timescales outlined by NHS Grampian are met.
He has also voiced his anger at the return of elective sections not returning to Dr Gray’s until early 2025, despite SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf promising last year that there would be a “rapid reintroduction” of c-sections at Dr Gray’s.
Douglas has also urged Humza Yousaf to outline where the extra £1.4 million detailed by NHS Grampian in the board papers will come from to ensure that the already “underwhelming” timescales do not slip even further, as a result of a lack of resources.
The Moray MP, who held a pre-briefing with NHS Grampian on Monday says, that there is “simply not enough urgency” from the health board in terms of their recruitment and marketing strategy designed to attract new staff to live and work in the area.
Douglas says he will be raising all of these major issues in the Scottish Parliament next Wednesday (21 December) after he secured a Members’ Business debate and says he expects Humza Yousaf to be as transparent as possible over how Model 6 will be delivered.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “These proposals from NHS Grampian simply do not alleviate my significant fears over the future of maternity services at Dr Gray’s. It is hugely disappointing that consultant-led services will not return for Moray mums until the end of 2026 or even early 2027.
“The reality is that despite the health board’s best efforts to talk up these ‘ambitious’ plans, that the so-called ‘temporary’ one-year downgrade of maternity services will have lasted over eight years if these timescales are met which is absolutely outrageous.
“More and more expectant mothers in Moray in the coming years will have to travel to Raigmore or Aberdeen at all times of the year, rather than having the option of giving birth in their own local hospital.
“Having experienced this terrifying journey last year myself, I cannot believe that these sorts of timescales can be deemed acceptable by health board officials.
“It is also nothing short of a scandal that elective sections won’t be available at Dr Gray’s until early 2025. Humza Yousaf’s promise of a rapid reintroduction of elective c-sections has proven to be nothing more than cheap words with little action to back them up.
“There is simply not enough urgency in these plans which are underwhelming. I am deeply concerned by the board’s marketing strategy with minimal funding being spent on it, which only raises the prospect that not enough staff will be recruited to ensure that consultant-led services will actually return.
“In my view the plans don’t meet the aspirations of Keep MUM and Maternity Voices Partnership and other campaigners across Moray. That is why I am bringing forward a debate at the earliest opportunity next week in the Scottish Parliament to raise concerns on behalf of local constituents and demand answers from Humza Yousaf.
"As the government are not offering any time to debate these plans, I have secured a time when Scottish Conservatives choose the topic to ensure this issue can be discussed in Parliament before the end of the year.
“The Scottish Government must be as transparent as possible and explain why it will still be four more years at the earliest until this temporary downgrade is finally reversed for mums and families in Moray.”
