Moray MP Douglas Ross says it is “absolutely ridiculous” that a statement on the future of maternity services at Dr Gray’s won’t be delivered until the end of October.
Provisional Parliamentary Business papers show that a half-hour Ministerial Statement on Moray Maternity Services has been outlined by the Scottish Government for Wednesday 26 October.
Douglas has hit out at those plans, highlighting if the statement goes ahead it will almost be four months since NHS Grampian announced plans to move to Model 4.
He had pushed for a statement to be delivered by SNP Health Secretary Humza Yousaf before the upcoming October recess, but the SNP Government rejected this plan, leaving expectant mothers in the dark again.
Humza Yousaf had promised at the end of June to update expectant mothers, families and campaigners on plans to restore consultant-led maternity services at Dr Gray’s as soon as possible at the start of the new Parliament session in September.
Douglas says this further delay shows the Health Secretary and NHS Grampian are running scared of Parliamentary scrutiny on their plans, and that it is an insult to all those who are desperate for answers.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “Delaying this crucial statement until Parliament returns from recess is just the latest insult to expectant mothers across Moray.
“Having already avoided Parliamentary scrutiny over the plans to move to Model Four before the summer, the SNP have continually done so again since Parliament returned in September.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that this statement will now take place almost four months since NHS Grampian first unveiled the plans to move to Model Four.
“Even if it does go ahead, expectant mothers and local campaigners deserve much more than half an hour of the Health Secretary’s time.
"They have been waiting more than four years since the so-called temporary downgrade of maternity services, so he should find extra time in his schedule to deliver as full an update as possible.
“We know that Keep MUM already described a recent NHS Highland board meeting as tone-deaf which is why the Health Secretary should have updated Parliament as soon as possible, not plan to do it weeks from now.
“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.”