SNP MSPs welcome commitment to restore maternity services to Moray
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SNP MSPs Karen Adam and Richard Lochead have welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to reinstating consultant-led maternity services to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin, Moray.
The news follows a Ministerial Statement in the Scottish Parliament yesterday from Humza Yousaf, the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, where he gave a ‘cast iron commitment’ to bringing back the specialist service for in Moray and beyond.
Banffshire & Buchan Coast representative Karen Adam has previously thrown her support behind the Keep Mum Campaign who are leading the efforts to restore the consultant-led service at Dr Grays.
Following the Cabinet Secretary’s Ministerial Statement, Ms Adam asked the Scottish Government about ensuring that the lived experience of women and families in Moray remain central to their decision making on Moray Maternity Services going forward. In his response, Mr Yousaf stated that it would “absolutely” be part of the Government’s engagement going forward.
Commenting, Karen Adam MSP said: “I am really pleased that the restoration of consultant-led maternity services at Dr Gray’s has been given a ‘cast iron commitment’ from the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care. the Scottish Government are showing clear devotion to improving services for Mums and families here in and around Moray.
“It has to be acknowledged though that the Scottish Government’s plans to do so could have been accelerated if the UK Government hadn’t created the current mess the country is in right now. "Their self-inflicted national labour shortage has meant that the UK Government have actively excluded much needed specialists, consultants and professionals from participating in the workforce and service delivery in Scotland, and the other nations of the UK.
"This has caused unwarranted pressure and considerable disruption to service capacity, with rural areas being hit the hardest.
“Despite this, the Scottish Government are clearly determined to do all they can to work around these challenges to roll out the delivery of consultant-led maternity services for parents and families in and around Moray. This really shows the difference between the Scottish Government taking real and tangible action to progress this much needed service for the benefit of our citizens. In comparison, the UK Government continue to inflict incredibly damaging policies that have evidently had a severe impact on how people are able to access our services.
“The journey to delivering consult-led maternity care in Moray is well underway and I look forward to hearing further progress from the External Assurance Panel who are expected to update the Scottish Government on the prospect in late December.”
Richard Lochhead MSP said:
“The Heath Secretary has restated his cast-iron commitment to the restoration of a consultant led service at Dr Gray’s and made it clear he recognises the concerns that have been raised by local campaigners and clinicians including at Raigmore about the draft plans submitted by the health boards.
“This week I’ve spoken to both the Health Secretary and Linda de Caestecker, who is leading the external panel overseeing this process, and have strongly conveyed local views to them and reiterated the need for a determined focus on delivering what has been promised at Dr Gray’s given that the years are disappearing.
“It is important, as the Scottish Government has said, that both investment at Raigmore and Dr Gray’s happens concurrently because Moray can’t wait for Inverness and I will once again be pressing NHS Grampian to share details on how it plans to use the £5m set aside for rebuilding maternity services in Elgin.
“Women in Moray urgently need to see some progress and to start seeing improvements in the services available at Dr Gray’s as soon as possible.”
Their views were not shared by other MSPs however with both Douglas Ross, Edward Mountain and Rhoda Grant all voicing their concerns.
