The future of a consultant-led maternity service at Dr Gray's Hospital has been "kicked into the long grass" by the SNP, Moray MP Douglas Ross has said.
Nationalist MSP Richard Lochhead announced this afternoon that Jeane Freeman has agreed to carry out a review into the service which won't report back until June 21 - well after the Scottish election.
Mr Ross had challenged the SNP to match the Scottish Conservative commitment to make a manifesto promise to restore the full, consultant-led service.
It is almost three years since maternity services at the Elgin hospital were downgraded due to staffing issues.
Scottish Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said:
"Richard Lochhead has spent the last three years blaming NHS Grampian for the failure to restore a full consultant-led maternity service at Dr Gray's and saying it had nothing to do with the SNP government.
"Now, with one day to go before the end of this parliament, we have an announcement of a review that won't report back until after the election.
"We still have no commitment from Richard Lochhead or the SNP to restore the full consultant-led service. The Scottish Conservatives will have that promise in black and white in our manifesto - can the SNP match that?
"This seems more like a cynical pre-election ploy to try and win votes rather than resolve the issue.
"And Jeane Freeman still hasn't responded to my request to meet local families and hear first-hand how difficult it has been for mums-to-be forced to travel to and from Aberdeen to give birth.
"I think the people of Moray deserve more than the promise of a review, which is simply a way of kicking this issue into the long grass. when all they want is to see this service restored."