Midwifery team expanded at Dr Gray’s Hospital

Reaching the milestones set out in the Moray Maternity Service Plan – which will see consultant-led births return to Dr Gray’s Hospital by the end of 2026 – is continuing with the expansion of the senior midwifery team.  
 
Moray is now benefiting from having three additional senior midwives, meaning there is now always a member of midwifery management on shift at Dr Gray’s Hospital and additional support is available for teams across the local area. Teams will also be welcoming two graduate midwives to the team as well as advertising opportunities for additional midwives in the coming months.   
 
The senior midwife openings have given experienced members of the team opportunities to develop in their career.

Recently promoted midwifery lead for Moray, Jacqueline Keddie explained: “We cover a vast area across Moray and Banff so the increase in members of staff will be hugely helpful. I was really pleased with the response to the job adverts and I think that’s reflective of folk feeling motivated by the opportunities ahead. They know they can be part of positive change as we work towards the development of a sustainable, consultant-led unit at the hospital.”   

Lynne Ritchie replaces Jacqueline as a midwifery team leader in the community alongside Julie Picksley whose post is funded through the plan. Charlotte McWilliam and Dawn Bannister also have new senior roles and join the team on the ward alongside senior charge midwife Rebecca Allan whose role has also recently been made permanent. 

Charlotte, who is the youngest new senior charge midwife says she loves the variety that comes from working in a small district general hospital. She commented: “We get to support all types of midwifery on every shift as part of a small, close-knit team who have the chance to get to know the women we support really well.  

“I have a huge passion for what Dr Gray’s Hospital has been, still is and what it’s going to be. I’m really excited at this point in my career to be part of leading what we’re all striving towards in terms of the Moray Maternity Collaborative.” 

Dawn, who is originally from Motherwell, has been working in Moray for the last 20 years. She said: “I’ve had so many great learning experiences here that I wouldn’t necessarily have had in bigger units, including my advanced practice to become a prescribing midwife.  

“I absolutely love my job; it’s a privilege coming in every day. From the minute I arrived in Elgin, I was taken in like family with everybody looking out for you, and I have met so many amazing people I can now call close friends. With the next generation of midwives entering the workplace, it's my intention to be a supportive role model, encouraging them to strive and reach their potential. 

Lynne, who has been a midwife for 31 years, added: “I’m really passionate about getting the full range of maternity services restored at Dr Gray. There has been a big change in leadership recently and I’m really positive about being part of the next steps. We will absolutely make it the best we for women across the Moray and Banff areas.”  

Julie originally trained in Ayrshire before coming to Moray in 1999 after spending a few years working in London. She commented: “I have been a midwife for 26 years, most of which has been spent in the hospital setting and more recently in community. I love my job and the relationships you build with the women through this special time. I’m really committed to being part of striving to make Moray services the best they possibly can be for them.” 

Jacqui is also looking forward to the ongoing expansion of services. She said: “We are proud to be part of a caring environment and offer a really good standard of midwifery care in Moray. There’s an incredible amount of professional development opportunities on the horizon and that will benefit both staff and local families. Help us spread the word about opportunities at the hospital coming up.”   

 To find out more about job opportunities at Dr Gray’s Hospital, visit https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk and in the ‘filter jobs’ section, type ‘Elgin’ into the ‘where’ box (to increase the radius, use the drop-down menu in the ‘distance’ box). Then, click ‘apply filters’ at the bottom. You can also click ‘create alerts’ to be notified of any new posts added matching your criteria.