Moray MP Douglas Ross has commented after receiving parliamentary answers and a letter from Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf regarding comments last month by the Chief Executive of NHS Grampian who said it could be a further 10 years before a consultant led maternity unit is restored in Moray.
Commenting today (Tuesday), after receiving the most recent updates from the Health Secretary, Douglas said:
“I’ve now raised the 10-year timescale for the replacement of our consultant led maternity unit in the chamber of the Scottish Parliament, through written questions to the Health Secretary, and via letters to Humza Yousaf. On every occasion, he has failed to rule-out Moray mums and families waiting for another 10 years for our vital maternity service to be upgraded to the level it was in 2018.
“This timescale is completely unacceptable and potentially dangerous for the Moray mums who will have to be transferred on the A96 to either Aberdeen or Inverness while we wait for NHS Grampian and the Scottish Government to deliver for our area.
“Too many families have already had to suffer with the anxiety caused by our reduced service here in Moray and we have had shocking examples of women giving birth in laybys since the service was downgraded four years ago.
“The Dr Gray’s maternity unit has been downgraded yet the wait continues to see proper plans for the reintroduction of a consultant-led unit.
“This absolutely must happen as a matter of priority, and I know people across Moray will be hugely disappointed and annoyed that the Scottish Health Secretary has not ruled out a decade-long wait for the service to be back up and running. Moray deserves a consultant-led maternity unit now.
“The Scottish Government and NHS Grampian must prioritise this and accelerate the plans, so we are not waiting many more years for the service to return to Dr Gray’s. This is what Moray women and families deserve and I will continue to do everything I can to see the service back up and running as soon as possible.”