Keep MUM targets MSPs in Dr Gray's campaign
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Keep MUM has issued a 'call to action' in its fight for the return of a full maternity service to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin.
The campaign group has published the email addresses of MSPs who represent the region and is now asking the public to make their opinions clear by contacting the politicians directly.
To make it easier for people to get their point across Keep MUM has also provided them with a 'form of words' about the current situation facing expectant women.
Keep MUM's call to action comes in the wake of a statement made at Holyrood on Wednesday by Humza Yousaf, the Health Secretary, regarding maternity services in the region.
This statement was labelled "profoundly disappointing" by Keep MUM as it gave no date for when a full consultant-led maternity service could be restored at the Elgin hospital.
Launching its call to action, group spokesperson Kirsty Watson said: "Following on from the Cabinet Secretary’s parliamentary statement this week, the campaign reached a crucial point. There has been with very little progress, despite assurances.
"Can we give as much weight as possible to the Inverness clinicians’ argument that Moray needs consultant-led maternity care at Dr Gray’s very urgently?
"Please can you copy and paste the text below (or use your own of course) and then send to all our local MSPs.
"We are very, very grateful for your support and are hoping that all the political parties will support this call to action."
Dr Gray's maternity unit was downgraded in 2017 due to a lack of consultants.
The vast majority of local women have since been forced to travel to Aberdeen to give birth.
Plans to allow more to to Inverness instead have met with resistance from NHS staff who claim the service there is already overstretched.
The 'form of words' released by Keep MUM is as follows:
Dear Elected Members
I have been following the updates regarding maternity services in Moray and I am very concerned. I am urging you to take any action you can to help ensure that Moray families will have their babies close to home, as soon as possible.
I understand that clinicians from Raigmore have raised extensive and well thought out concerns, stating why the proposal of ‘Model 4’, for Moray women to give birth at Raigmore rather than Aberdeen is completely unworkable. Further, they have stated that Dr Gray’s needs a full consultant led maternity service as soon as possible. I, as a constituent of Moray, would like this too.
Can you help ensure that planning for this can happen as soon as possible? Can you ask if the Scottish Government can begin to look at what is needed for staffing, management and infrastructure to allow this to begin happening at Dr Gray’s, not anywhere else? If this cannot happen, why not? Why is there still no timescale for returning these services to Moray in the fifth year after the downgrade? This is unacceptable.
I am also asking you to respond to this email and tell me what actions you are taking in relation to this very important matter?
Many thanks
Insert your own name
.
The email addresses of the local MSPs are:
Richard.Lochhead.msp@parliament.scot
Douglas.Ross.msp@parliament.scot
Rhoda.Grant.msp@parliament.scot
Karen.Adam.msp@parliament.scot
Ariane.Burgess.msp@parliament.scot
Emma.Roddick.msp@parliament.scot
