NHS Grampian has been asked for guarantees that overnight care for children will return following staffing shortages.
Inpatient paediatric services will be withdrawn from Dr Gray’s Hospital on Friday.
Yesterday Moray MP Douglas Ross met NHS management to discuss the long-term future of the services.
Following the talks, Mr Ross said it was a “great concern” that a whistleblower had revealed the changes instead of bosses.
And the MP is seeking guarantees from the health authority that sending young children to Aberdeen or Inverness for treatment does not become permanent.
He said: “I welcome the assurances given at the meeting that nursing staff will not be redeployed and NHS Grampian will use the time productively to provide enhanced training to the staff involved.
“The NHS assures me that they are working tirelessly to find a solution to secure safe and sustainable services at Dr Gray’s but it’s clear that it will be a fight to retain the service we are used to in Moray.
“I didn’t receive a guarantee these temporary measures won’t become permanent, but I will be working with anyone and everyone to ensure that doesn’t happen.”
NHS Grampian was forced to withdraw inpatient paediatric care at the hospital after temporary measures to solve a junior doctor recruitment crisis proved unworkable.
Temporary staff were moved to the region and amended rotas were introduced but it was decided that the changes were not sustainable.
New solutions are currently being drawn up but the process is expected to take “several months”.
The 24-hour access to emergency paediatric care at the hospital is unaffected during the disruption.
Mr Ross added: “Whilst I appreciate this was not a decision that was taken lightly and care for children who are ill must be the number one priority, I remain extremely concerned about the continued reduction of services at Dr Gray’s.”
Last week the NHS said that the services were being withdrawn from Dr Gray’s “on an interim basis”. The health authority declined to comment further yesterday.
