Enhanced mental health care for pregnant women and new mums is now being offered in Moray as part of work to deliver a full, sustainable obstetric service at Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.  

 

NHS Grampian has announced that the team in Moray now has an advanced psychology practitioner based in Elgin to support local families as close to home as possible.  

 

Rebecca Riddoch, who took up the new post at the end of August, said: “When I saw the role advertised, I thought ‘this is right up my street’. I’m really pleased to be helping women and their families in my local area and just really want to make sure people are seen as quickly as possible by right service.” 

 

Rebecca previously spent six years working as a psychological therapist and team lead within the primary care psychological therapies service in Aberdeen. She is trained in providing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), compassion focused therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. But she says the most important thing for her is human interaction.  

 

Rebecca explained: “I’m based at Moray Resource Centre with our community midwives which I hope will be really helpful to local families. It also makes it really easy to share my knowledge and expertise with the local team, and I also spend time on the maternity ward at Dr Gray’s as well as with the wider team in Aberdeen.  

 

“I offer 1:1 appointments in person, by phone or online and it’s important for women and families to know it’s ok to say, ‘I need a bit of help’. Referrals can be made by health visitors, midwives and family nurse practitioners as well as GPs, so please, it’s really important if anyone feels they need to be seen to ask for a referral to be submitted.” 

 

Jane Gill, Programme Director with the North of Scotland Maternity Collaborative, said: “We’re excited to welcome Rebecca to the team. Her expertise will be a tremendous asset in delivering this vital new service to families here in Moray.  

 

“This underlines that we aren’t just working to restore the previous maternity service – our goal is to provide the most advanced and comprehensive maternity care Moray has ever seen. By expanding our services to cover every aspect of the perinatal journey, from early pregnancy through to postnatal support with roles like this one, we’re taking another important step towards achieving that vision.” 

 

With two young children herself, Rebecca is all too aware of the challenges pregnancy and motherhood can bring. She also says seeing the difference CBT made to a family member with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what originally inspired her to follow a career in mental health.   

 

She continued: “It doesn't matter who the person is, we can help. The best bit for me is speaking to people, hearing their stories and helping them feel better bit by bit.” 

 

Asked for her top tip for anyone struggling, Rebecca was quick to highlight the NHS Steps for Stress website. Rebecca explained: “It's a great starting point and has some fantastic resources. The midwife team can also share details of our online CBT programme for anyone who prefers to work through things at their own pace.” 

 

The term perinatal refers to the period from conception to a baby’s first birthday. Visit the NHS Inform Steps for Stress web page: Breathing and relaxation exercises | NHS inform  

 

Find out more about working and living in Moray and the North of Scotland: https://www.wishyouworkedhere.scot/