Moray MP Douglas Ross says news that delays to plans that will have seen an MRI suite installed at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin are a “hammer blow” for patients in his constituency.
NHS Grampian have confirmed that plans for a new £130 million treatment centre have been put on hold until there is certainty on funding.
The plans included the construction of a MRI Suite at the hospital in Elgin, while plans to refurbish the mental health ward in conjunction with the construction of a MRI suite, will also now be reviewed.
Douglas says the buck stops with SNP ministers who have “grossly mismanaged” Scotland’s finances and as a result NHS Grampian don’t have the resources they require to deliver healthcare projects for patients in the area.
Douglas says that all too often it is rural and remote areas like Moray and the area NHS Grampian covers that are hit hardest by SNP funding cuts and that this latest “major setback” will cause “huge worry” among patients in his constituency.
He has urged SNP minsters to be “fully upfront” about when plans will restart on delivering a MRI suite for Dr Gray’s and when the review into refurbishing the mental health ward will be completed.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “These delays are a hammer blow for patients in Moray. The delivery of a MRI suite as part of these £130 million plans for a new NHS Grampian treatment centre were warmly welcomed, but now patients and staff are facing huge uncertainty.
“There is a double whammy for those living in Moray – including some of our most vulnerable patients – with the delays meaning plans to refurbish a mental health ward might not go ahead after all.
“The faults lie with SNP ministers who have grossly mismanaged Scotland’s finances during their time in office. They have repeatedly underfunded NHS Grampian and the Health Board simply does not have the resources they need to undertake projects on this scale.
“All too often on the SNP’s watch, it is rural and remote healthcare services who get hit hardest and this latest major setback reaffirms that.
“This announcement will cause huge worry among patients across the area. The onus is on SNP ministers and NHS Grampian to be fully upfront as to when they expect work on this MRI Suite to restart and when the review into refurbishment plans for the mental health ward to be completed.
“There is simply no excuse for keeping people in the dark following this shocking announcement.”