The MSP who last week urged Nicola Sturgeon to make restoring Moray’s maternity services a priority for the Health Secretary has said he’s amazed the First Minister didn’t use a visit to Moray at the weekend to discuss the issue.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions last Thursday, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston had urged Nicola Sturgeon to intervene to ensure the downgrading of the maternity unit at Dr Gray’s hospital was reversed. The Conservative MSP had highlighted the example of a local woman forced to travel 160 miles to Fife because of capacity issues at hospitals in Aberdeen and Inverness.
However, despite attending a local SNP event in Keith at the weekend, it appears Nicola Sturgeon failed to meet with local campaigners or to visit Dr Gray’s and meet with staff.
Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “The downgrading of local maternity services has caused real concern and real anger amongst local families across Moray.
“I’m frankly amazed that, only days after I raised this important issue with her at First Minster’s Questions, Nicola Sturgeon appears to have ignored the opportunity to learn first hand of the problems at Dr Gray’s by meeting with local campaigners, local staff and concerned Moray families. She does, however, appear to have found time to attend an SNP fundraising bash in Keith.
“Nicola Sturgeon could have met with the passionate and committed volunteers who have been campaigning to restore full maternity services to Dr Gray’s. She could have met with senior NHS Grampian staff to do what clearly her Health Secretary has failed to do; achieve some progress on the restoration of services. She could have visited the hospital to reassure local people that her government was serious about restoring the service.
“It appears that she did none of these. Despite coming to Moray with an entourage of senior SNP figures, including at least one other Government minister and the SNP’s Deputy Leader, there just wasn’t time in Nicola Sturgeon’s schedule for this vital local issue. That’s an embarrassing missed opportunity for Nicola Sturgeon and for Moray SNP.
“There is growing frustration in Moray that, despite promises and proposals from Jeane Freeman and NHS Grampian, we appear to be little closer to a full service being restored. Nicola Sturgeon’s failure to engage will do little to reassure local families that this is a priority for her Scottish Government”.
