- Improving obstetric and paediatric care in Elgin
Health and Care Secretary has reaffirmed her ongoing
commitment to ensuring high quality, safe and sustainable
healthcare continues to be delivered to local communities,
following a visit to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.
Ms Constance met with NHS Grampian's Chief Executive as well as
staff from the hospital to understand the importance of the
facility to the local area.
She said: Rural communities across Scotland have their own unique
challenges when it comes to accessing high quality healthcare and
it's essential we do everything we can to make sure these
challenges are properly considered and addressed.
I have met with the management team of Dr Gray's today to discuss
their ongoing challenges around recruitment across a number of
services including obstetric services and paediatric care.
Following the temporary suspension of paediatric surgery last
week, I have shared my concerns and sought urgent assurances from
NHS Grampian that the necessary improvements are being progressed
at pace and that services will be reinstated as soon as it is
safe to do so.
Patient safety must always come first and whilst NHS Grampian
carries out its review of paediatric surgery at Dr Gray's
Hospital, I expect the Board to liaise with any affected patients
and their families. I also expect that the local community
be kept updated of any changes to services at the earliest
possible opportunity, as I recognise the frustrations caused by
last week's announcement.
The Chief Executive has sought to assure me that families with
children in emergency situations should continue to bring their
children into Dr Gray's with all other inpatient and outpatient
care continuing as normal.
Regarding obstetrics, I am clear that services must be returned
to Dr Gray's to ensure women in Moray receive full, safe, local
care and support to meet their needs throughout pregnancy, birth
and the weeks which follow.
This is why to date the Scottish Government has provided over £10
million in funding to NHS Grampian to support progress. This has
led to the return of elective c-sections at the hospital in 2025
and the new ultrasound clinic in Elgin saving families over
10,000 miles of travel to Aberdeen for appointments.
However we are far from complacent and work is ongoing to tackle
issues around the recruitment of specialist roles to rural
locations such as Moray. This includes developing a new
apprenticeship for midwives, to make it easier for people to
access training to join the profession whilst they work, a
commitment of our first 100 days in government.
I have also asked that the new Independent Review of maternity
services led by Professor Christine McCourt looks specifically at
the challenges facing women in Moray.
