Campaigners have written to the first minister and health secretary ahead of an announcement on the future of maternity services in Moray.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf will make a statement on Wednesday outlining the way forward following calls for consultant-led maternity services to be reinstated at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.
The Keep Mum campaign group has written a letter, endorsed by local MSPs, summarising what the people of Moray need.
They say the government needs to lay out a roadmap “with clear milestones” back to a consultant led maternity to allow “the vast majority” of women from Moray and Banff to deliver their babies in Elgin.
Further, they say investment is required for the restoration of this service and to secure Dr Gray’s position as a district general hospital.
To monitor the whole project, Keep Mum and other campaigners would like an independent external body appointed, including community representation.
Maternity services downgraded
Staff shortages led to a downgrade in maternity services at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin in 2018.
Currently, the majority of Moray babies are born in Aberdeen – 65 miles from Elgin.
A review carried out in December recommended that pregnant women needing emergency delivery services should be transferred to Inverness rather than Aberdeen.
Although Keep Mum campaigners support an expansion of maternity services at Raigmore Hospital, they argue sending women there would not be a suitable solution to the problems in Moray.
They objected to this proposed plan due to safety concerns.
In December, a mum was forced to give birth in a lay-by on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road after being deemed “high risk” during labour.
Alexandra Naylor described the experience of giving birth in an ambulance at Pitcaple, near Inverurie, as “traumatic”.
“I was restricted by seatbelts with no breaks in between pushing. It all felt like a bad dream, I was confused, in imaginable pain and terrified to the core,” she said.
Meeting the needs of Moray mothers
On Monday, Mr Yousaf visited Dr Gray’s to meet with clinicians and officials from NHS Grampian and NHS Highland, as well as campaigners.
He said: “I am here today to reaffirm this government’s commitment to delivering the best care for expectant mothers in Moray that meets their needs and expectations, is safe for them and their babies and reintroduces consultant-led maternity services in Moray.
“This is an issue I take very seriously and recognise the need to set out the way forward as soon as possible.”
Before his arrival, Kirsty Watson, from Keep Mum, said they would not be “fobbed off with the Inverness option”, adding that the people of Moray felt their distress was being “disregarded”.
The Scottish Government was contacted to comment.
