Further Aberdeen midwives unit reopening delay

The reopening of the midwives unit at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital - which is closed due to staff shortages - has been further delayed, BBC Scotland has learned.

NHS Grampian announced in May the unit would be temporarily moved to the labour ward for about three months.

Then in August it was announced the co-location could continue until the end of September.

The health board has now said the plan is to open at the end of October.

It comes as Aberdeen Maternity Hospital faces increasing pressure.

New midwives

Maternity services at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin have been downgraded due to staff shortages, so women with medium to high-risk pregnancies are now being transferred to Aberdeen and Inverness to give birth.

A spokesman for NHS Grampian said: "The midwife unit continues to be co-located with the labour ward, maximising the workforce in one area.

​"We are welcoming a number of new midwives to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital during October and have a plan in place to reopen the midwife unit as a distinct facility by the end of this month.

"Throughout co-location we are supporting women to achieve the birth experience that they would like. The health and wellbeing of our patients and our staff remains our priority."

In February last year, the Aberdeen midwife unit reopened two months behind schedule after being affected by similar staff shortages.