Moray recruitment campaign which could prove vital in restoration of Dr Gray's Hospital maternity services shows early promise
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A RECRUITMENT campaign launched in the hope of attracting more healthcare professionals to Moray has led to an "astonishing" level of interest, according to NHS Grampian bosses.
The campaign has put a special focus on recruiting staff into roles which will help the health board fully restore maternity services at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin by the end of 2026.
A dedicated recruitment site for the campaign has already attracted 31,000 visitors just over a month after its launch with NHS Grampian stating that it is so far "exceeding" their expectations.
Jane Gill, maternity programme lead at NHS Grampian, said: "The response to the campaign has been incredibly positive and really, quite astonishing.
“With more than 1,000 visitors daily to our recruitment site, and over 100 enquiries from potential new staff so far, it’s exceeding our expectations."
She added: "We’ve had people in touch from across the UK but also from as far afield as Europe, India, South Africa and elsewhere who are keen to make Moray their home."
Maternity services at Dr Gray's were downgraded in 2018 due to concerns regarding staff shortages.
The decision, taken by NHS Grampian, has meant that the majority of Moray women have faced a one and a half hour journey to give birth in Aberdeen when previously they could have done so in Elgin.
Scotland's former chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood, speaking in 2018, assured mums-to-be that the decision would not put them at risk.
But on the five year anniversary of the downgrade last year, Moray mums shared their "endless, uncomfortable and frightening" experiences of childbirth when there was no consultant-led service for them to turn to.
However, NHS Grampian hopes that its major recruitment campaign, launched in January, will help fill over 20 posts which will be needed to fully restore services in the area.
The campaign has targeted major English cities and utilised a variety of platforms including TV and social media in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible.
But despite its early promise and bosses labelling it a "potential game changer", NHS Grampian concedes that there is still much more work to do.
"Our goal is to convert this interest into actual applications and ultimately, new starts," Ms Gill said.
"Our ultimate aim is consultant-led obstetric births at Dr Gray’s Hospital by 2026 and we’re making good progress.
“I’m delighted that we’ve already managed to recruit a number of new midwifery colleagues to the service who are now in place and working at Dr Gray’s.
"Importantly, we’ve also secured three new consultant obstetrician and gynaecologists who are due to start shortly, one of whom will work between Elgin and Raigmore.
"That’s really exciting but it’s just the beginning.
"It’s critical that we find the right staff for other key positions – particularly in anaesthetics – and there will be no let-up in those efforts as the recruitment campaign continues in the months to come.”
