NHS Grampian has announced a series of public events as part of its efforts to provide a long-term solution to the staffing issues that have affected Women and Children’s service at Dr Gray’s Hospital over the last 8 months.
Members of the public are being encouraged to attend the events which will take place across Moray later this month in order to help the health board forge a more resilient service that meets the needs of the communities across Moray.
It follows a commitment given by NHS Grampian Chief Executive Malcolm Wright to maintain obstetric and pediatric services at Dr Gray’s Hospital and a categorical assurance that they are not “under threat”.
The health board has also pledged to find an alternative way of delivering the services in Moray that will be more reliable in the future.
Dr Jamie Hogg, Clinical Lead for Moray, said: “We need to make sure we have a service in place that people in Moray can have confidence in over the longer term. It is not fair on patients or staff to continue to put them through uncertainty every few months.
“To move forwards, we firmly believe that the needs of the community must be at the centre of any future proposals. That’s why we’ve arranged a series of public sessions throughout April and we’re encouraging people to come along and discuss the issues we face directly with clinicians, management and other staff from the hospital.
“We will also be inviting people who attend to get further involved with the work we will be doing on this over the coming weeks and months.”
He continued: “It’s important to stress that no decisions have been taken at this stage – these events are aimed at answering questions, providing reassurance and getting people involved in helping to identify potential options for the future.
“This is a big opportunity to improve care by making practical changes to how the NHS works for us in Moray.”
The sessions will take place in Elgin, Forres, Buckie, Dufftown, Keith and Lossiemouth with each taking place between 1pm and 4pm and 6pm and 8 pm at each venue.
The dates and venues are as follows:
16 April – Dr Gray’s Hospital, Dunbarney
17 April – Elgin, Town Hall
18 April – Forres, Forres House Community Centre
19 April – Buckie Community Centre
23 April – Dufftown Community Centre
24 April – Keith Community Centre
25 April – Lossiemouth Community Centre
