PARENTS OF DIABETIC children in Moray have hit back at claims the level of treatment their children receive at Dr Gray’s is not at the same level as other parts of Grampian.
Some parents have described the claim laid by Moray’s MSP Richard Lochhead as “nonsense” while NHS Grampian have themselves moved to reassure parents and defend the current level of service.
On Tuesday, insideMoray revealed how Mr Lochhead was concerned over the level of care being given to diabetic children in Moray when compared to other parts of the region under the control of NHS Grampian.
The MSP said that he would be in touch with the Chief Executive of NHS Grampian, Malcolm Wright, seeking clarification after being contacted by parents who claimed patients in Aberdeen had greater levels of support.
However, following publication of the story several parents contacted insideMoray to defend the service provided in Elgin – with Joanne Hair saying: “This is just nonsense. I could not fault the care provided at all – the nurse at Dr Gray’s is one in a million and absolutely fantastic at her job.”
Another parent, Lisa Eldon, agreed, adding: “I think we receive great support.”
An NHS Grampian spokeswoman also hit out at the claims, saying that while it was true only one specialist diabetes nurse was employed in Elgin and two in Aberdeen, all three were supported by a strong backroom staff.
She said: “The team consists of three full-time nurses to cover the Grampian area and we continue to actively recruit into the team to fill a final vacancy. However, it is important to stress that this is a Grampian-wide service and all three staff members have responsibility across the region.
“The service covers all of Grampian and meets the Royal College of Nursing guidelines for caseload size.”