Elgin mum overjoyed to have baby at Dr Gray's as NHS Grampian bosses admit they 'can't believe' recruitment boom
An Elgin mum has spoken of her 'relief' at being able to have her beloved new baby boy at Dr Gray's Hospital instead of facing a drive to Aberdeen.
Sarah Clegg gave birth to her first child, Jack Alexander Clegg, on Wednesday morning following a planned caesarean section.
The new mum, who actually works on the Dr Gray's maternity ward herself as a healthcare support worker, is one of the growing number of parents having their children in Elgin again.
C-sections have been performed every week since they were restored in Moray in April with officials now exploring ways to expand the number of eligible women.
Today NHS Grampian revealed that 80% of posts have now been filled as part of its drive to restore a consultant-led maternity service to Dr Gray's by the end of next year.
Bosses told the Press and Journal they 'can't believe' how successful a new recruitment approach has been with nearly 600 people now applying for some jobs.
When Sarah Clegg became pregnant she was expecting to have to travel to Aberdeen to have her baby, a journey hundreds of other families have faced since the Dr Gray's unit was downgraded in 2018.
However, as her due date approached, her hopes were raised of an Elgin birth as elective caesareans were restored.
After initially being unsure if she met the strict criteria, she was given the good news and gave birth to health baby Jack, who was 7lbs and 14oz, on Wednesday morning.
She said: 'The whole experience was really good. I was really nervous but the staff held my hand and were so lovely. It was actually quite relaxing, I would definitely do it again.
'I definitely always wanted to come to Elgin. Thankfully I fit the criteria, if I hadn't then I would have had to go to Aberdeen.
'It was a big relief because there was always that thought of travelling down in labour.
'It's just been so much more practical. It has meant my mum has been here, my sister has travelled down.
'It's comfortable, the hospital isn't as busy and, because I work here too, I've felt safe.
'There's been so much extra TLC, me and Jack have felt very important.'
NHS Grampian was forced to downgrade the maternity unit in 2018 after its previous recruitment methods and staffing models made the service unsustainable.
A new campaign, entitled 'Wish You Worked Here', has been launched to boost efforts by showcasing the region and working environment.
It has since been viewed 11 million times across platforms including Sky TV, social media and news websites.
Targeted ads have also been placed in outdoor lifestyle publications with teams also appearing on industry podcasts and visiting specialist recruitment events where virtual reality devices have showcased the hospital and region.
Jane Gill, project director for The Maternity Collaborative, a joint project across NHS Grampian and NHS Highland, said: 'I can't believe it, it's been amazing.
'Every time we do it we think 'Is it going to work this time?' and it does, every single time, it just does.
'We've not had any posts unfilled so far that we've gone for. I'm not saying that's going to continue because we're at the difficult-to-recruit-for posts now but we'll rise to the challenge.
'We've now had over 1,800 people get in touch to explore working here.
'Not every inquiry is maternity-related, but everyone demonstrates that Dr Gray's is being seen as a hospital with momentum and a promising future.'
Health Secretary Neil Gray visited Dr Gray's today to see for himself the progress being made in recruitment at the hospital.
The minister is the fifth to have held the post since the downgrade.
Mr Gray said: 'It's taken time to get to this point, I recognise that. The transformation work has been remarkable though and I'm delighted with the work they're doing.'
He added: 'I've been very clear the progress needs to continue to be made, there will be no let-up in our determination with that.
'I'm heartened by what I've seen and heard about recruitment and about the fact we've had a caesarean every week since April.
'So, it is being well used, parental choice is being taken through, and that is so important because I recognise there is still anxiety and making sure we can provide parents in Moray the opportunity have choices around the services they receive.'
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