Campaigners to protest maternity unit downgrade

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Campaign group Keep MUM, Keep the Maternity Unit for Moray, are encouraging residents from across Moray to come out in force this Saturday to protest the planned changes to maternity services at Dr Gray’s hospital.

The group who have stated they are “gravely concerned regarding the safety of the new model for maternity services in Moray” called for answers from NHS Grampian to a number of “basic and fundamental” questions regarding the service downgrade which comes into play next week.

Questions put to NHS Grampian included the criteria for labours at the Moray unit and what provisions had been put in place with regards to extra staffing and beds at units in Aberdeen and Inverness to cope with Moray mums and babies.

The group also questioned the capacity for an “already overburdened ambulance service” to transfer patients who require intervention following assessment during labour.

The protest will take place at the Plainstones, Elgin on Saturday, 14th July at 12 noon and follows a petition against the downgrade which attracted 10,500 signatures in just 5 days.

Representatives of Keep MUM are today meeting with the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Midwife for Scotland who are visiting Dr Gray’s to hear about the ongoing crisis.