What Moray residents want from consultant-led maternity services at Dr Gray’s revealed

By Chris Cromar

March 15 2023, 2:13 pm

Patients from Dr Gray's had to be sent to Aberdeen. Image: Jason Hedges/ DC Thomson

Accessibility, wellbeing and choice are what Moray residents want from a consultant-led maternity service at Elgin’s Dr Gray’s Hospital.

The aims have been revealed in a new report by NHS Grampian as part of the journey towards delivering the new service.

Community engagement and feedback submitted through Care Opinion indicated largely positive experiences of care received at Dr Gray’s, with many praising the midwife-led unit as being high-quality and person-centred.

However, there was strong demand for consultant-led maternity services and the benefits that they will bring, with the hospital not having this type of service since it was downgraded in 2018.

Dr Gray's maternity services — Dr Gray’s Hospital has been without consultant-led maternity services since the summer of 2018. Image: Jason Hedges/ DC Thomson

The report builds on evidence gathered through the wider Dr Gray’s Plan for the Future survey that was conducted in June and received 107 responses.

Together with concerns raised by local politicians and campaign group Keep Mum, it highlighted the impact that not having a consultant-led maternity service had on the local community.

Campaigners welcome report

Since NHS Grampian appointed a dedicated community engagement manager for maternity services in July, there has been a sustained focus on Moray and the ongoing development of a Moray Maternity Service Plan.

Campaign group Keep Mum welcomed the results of the survey in the foreword they wrote on the report, but continue to press the need for improvements.

It read: “Birth stories should never be dismissed as anecdotal evidence, nor women’s experiences minimised or trivialised.

“Those contained within this report speak eloquently of a maternity service in Moray which is causing ongoing anxiety and demonstrated the urgent need to reintroduce a consultant-led maternity service.”

NHS Grampian’s community engagement manager, Hannah Ronaldm said: “I see this as a basis for us to build on in future.

“Whilst we have not been as visible in the past, I hope that transparently reporting the engagement work we are doing demonstrates that we are listening and are very much committed to developing future service provision alongside the local community.”