NHS Highland responds to £10million investment into maternity services
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NHS Highland has welcomed the Scottish Government's £10million pledge into maternity services in the Highlands and Moray.
But the health board has warned that clinicians concerns which were previously raised with the health secretary must be taken on-board.
Cabinet secretary Humza Yousaf announced on Thursday (March 30) that Dr Gray's Hospital and Raigmore in Inverness would get £5million each in order to bring maternity services up to scratch.
The goal will to bring back a full consultant led service to Dr Gray's after it was downgraded in 2018 - meaning around 80 per cent of expectant mothers had to be sent to Aberdeen.
A NHS Highland spokeswoman said: "We acknowledge the statement from the cabinet secretary that was made yesterday.
"The £5m funding which has been announced is welcome and will allow us to improve our infrastructure at Raigmore
"In our discussions with the Scottish Government we have made it clear that we will require significant investment to increase our workforce for NHS Highland maternity and neonatal services as well as the ability to support interim pathways for Moray mums and their families.
"Our clinicians have made clear their concerns and we are working through this to ensure any agreed model considers and responds to these concerns.
"We are developing an accelerated planning approach that will include staff, families and partners ensuring openness, transparency and engagement as we agree milestones that we can all work towards collaboratively.
"An increase in our workforce levels will be dependent on our ability to recruit.
"Recruitment and retention is a key priority for us as a board and we are currently strengthening our approach to this across the whole organisation.
"We will continue to work with the Scottish Government and our NHS Grampian colleagues to take this plan forward to support all mums to give birth in a safe environment across Highland and Moray."
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