Dr Gray’s Hospital Aims to Reintroduce Caesarean Sections by Easter 2025

Planned Caesarean sections are anticipated to resume at a Moray hospital by Easter, nearly six years after the procedure was discontinued. NHS Grampian has indicated that efforts to reintroduce C-sections at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin are “ahead of schedule”. An official announcement regarding the start date is expected early in the upcoming year. Services at Dr Gray’s were downgraded in 2018 due to staffing shortages, which led to most expectant mothers in the region having to travel to Aberdeen for childbirth. Elective C-sections have not been available at the hospital since 2019, but there is hope that these births could be performed there by the end of April. Additionally, work is progressing to restore a consultant-led maternity service by 2026. NHS Grampian stated that the necessary infrastructure, staffing, and technical requirements are nearing completion, signifying that the programme is in its final stages. Jane Gill, programme director for the Moray Maternity Collaborative, commented: “At the moment, our current focus is squarely on safety, training, and clinical exercises, and, all going well and, assuming we have the assurance we need, we’re optimistic about announcing a ‘go-live’ date in the New Year.” She added that “The journey to this point has taken an extraordinary amount of dedication and hard work from everyone involved and builds on several major developments in maternity services for Moray.”