Moray maternity services

Work to restore consultant-led obstetric care at Dr Grays Hospital in Elgin will proceed following Scottish Government approval of plans to re-establish services.

The plan for an integrated maternity service for the North of Scotland, developed jointly by NHS Grampian and NHS Highland, will be backed by up to £6.6 million of Scottish Government investment.

A phased return to obstetric maternity services at Dr Grays will start with enhanced complex obstetric antenatal care and day assessment later this year. Elective caesarean births will re-start in early 2025 with full consultant- led services returning in 2026.

A networked model of care with Raigmore hospital will see Moray women offered a choice of place of birth in early 2025, once refurbishment work has concluded. Refurbishment of the Raigmore maternity unit will be supported through a further £5 million of earmarked funding.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said:

“NHS Grampian and Highland’s ambitious plan will deliver what local people have asked for – a return to obstetric maternity services at Dr Grays in a safe and sustainable way. 

“I thank both health boards and their clinical teams for the collaborative and innovative work that has gone into the development of this plan. I am grateful to Professor Linda De Caestecker, who was appointed to provide External Assurance, for her advice and support which has been crucial in getting us to this point.

“Delivering the plan will not be without its challenges, and the collaborative approach NHS Grampian and Highland have in place will provide a solid platform for shared delivery. Professor De Caestecker has agreed to continue to provide external assurance in the first year of the delivery period and I very much welcome this.”

Background

In 2018, due to staff shortages, NHS Grampian changed Dr Grays maternity services from an obstetric consultant led service to a midwife led service. Work has been underway since that date to restore consultant led maternity services to Dr Grays.

Following extensive local engagement, NHS Highland and NHS Grampian submitted a plan for an Integrated Maternity Service for the North, with consultant-led obstetric services at Dr Gray’s to the Cabinet Secretary in December 2022.