No overnight specialist paediatric care at Dr Gray's in Elgin
No overnight local specialist paediatric service will be available at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin due to staff pressures, NHS Grampian has said.
Children will instead be seen by their GP, GMED or the emergency department for assessment between 22:00 and 08:00. The doctor will contact a specialist consultant in Aberdeen if required for specialist advice and action. NHS Grampian said it was due to "unmanageable on-call commitments for both trainee and senior doctors". Sue Swift, divisional manager for women and children for NHS Grampian, said: "Regrettably, due to the reduced number of doctors available to provide safe care for children at Dr Gray's Hospital, we are in the position where we require to immediately modify the service provided to children within Moray. "This essential, temporary service change will take effect from Monday 12 March. "We want to be realistic and say from the outset that unless we can attract the additional specialist staff required to Dr Gray's Hospital, it will not be possible to deliver the service for children in the same way as it was provided previously. "We understand the community will be as disappointed as we are that we have had to take this step in the interests of patient safety. Circumstances have necessitated this decision, but it is unavoidable if we are to protect the safety of children and staff."