Moray hospital campaigners are expected to finally get answers from the SNP Government on a way forward for restoring services at Dr Gray’s maternity unit.
A statement has been scheduled for October 26, after the upcoming parliamentary break.
It is expected to detail plans for reinstating a full consultant-led maternity unit at the hospital, after a staffing crisis saw it downgraded in summer 2018.
The move left most mums facing either a 90-minute trip to Aberdeen or a 60-minute trip to Inverness to give birth, depending on conditions.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is facing pressure to publicise timescales for this to happen, amid claims Moray mums are being left “in limbo”.
Two women in the region were forced to give birth near the A96 earlier this year while on their way to Aberdeen Maternity Unit, 65 miles from Dr Gray’s.
‘I’ll be holding Humza Yousaf to account’
Moray MP Douglas Ross had called on Mr Yousaf to clear a space in his diary at Holyrood to tackle concerns before parliament broke for its two-month summer recess in June.
But it will be four months later that the health secretary outlines next steps for Moray maternity services.
Mr Ross says delaying the “crucial statement” until parliament returns from its October recess is “just the latest insult to expectant mothers across Moray”.
He added: “When we get this statement, I’ll be holding Humza Yousaf to account on how exactly he plans to fully restore maternity services in Moray.
“Right now, local people don’t have any confidence he will do so.”
Mr Ross drew attention to his own experience during question-time at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
He told Nicola Sturgeon to fix the wider NHS, reminding her how his wife had been forced to go to Aberdeen from Elgin in an emergency for the birth of their son.
‘Put off having a family’
Almost three quarters of births have been referred to Aberdeen or Inverness since the maternity unit was “temporarily” downgraded in 2018.
Campaigners Keep Mum have heard from women in the region who have “put off having a family” because of concerns over care.
Plans are continuing for a move towards an interim model which will see an upgrade to facilities at Raigmore maternity unit in Inverness.
But clinicians have raised safety concerns over the move, saying it could lead to “overcrowding”.
An independent review found it could take up to a decade for maternity services to be fully reinstated at Dr Gray’s.
Consultant-led maternity services
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We are committed to the return of consultant-led maternity services at Dr Grays Hospital.
“We are clear that this return will require significant investment in the infrastructure and workforce, and solving complex systemic problems, such as recruitment and retention.
“In line with our commitments we are keeping parliament updated as the boards move to develop and implement Plans for both ‘Model 4’ and ‘Model 6’ in the Moray Maternity Review.
“The £10 million package announced for Dr Gray’s and Raigmore hospitals will support delivery of the changes they, and local clinicians, are calling for.
“Both NHS Grampian and NHS Highland are developing timelines for these with plans for the interim Networked model due, and plans for the consultant-led unit due by the end of this year.”
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