NHS Grampian confirms mobile MRI unit set for Dr Gray’s Hospital
Moray patients waiting for MRI scans could be seen at Dr Gray’s Hospital from December, thanks to a temporary MRI unit.
The facility, funded by the Scottish Government, will be on site from December 1, 2025 until the end of March 2026, providing additional capacity for eligible patients across Grampian.
NHS Grampian has welcomed the new facility, which it said would help to cut waiting lists and allow Moray patients to receive scans closer to home.
The first appointments are expected to take place in December.
Those requiring more complex scans or with specific mobility needs will still need to be seen in Aberdeen.
Radiology service manager Claire Vernon said she was “delighted” at the prospect of bringing back MRI facilities to Moray.
While some patients would still have to travel to Aberdeen for appointments, she argued that the new scanner would make a “real difference” in tackling waiting times.
She also confirmed that NHS Grampian would contact eligible patients about appointments, and they do not have to do anything.
Alasdair Pattinson, general manager at Dr Gray’s Hospital, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome the mobile MRI unit here to Dr Gray’s.
“It means people in Moray and nearby areas will find it easier to access important diagnostic services close to home.
“Whilst only a temporary arrangement this will improve patient experiences, as well as help to reduce waiting times.”
The announcement came nearly two years after plans to install a permanent MRI scanner within Dr Gray’s Hospital were paused indefinitely by the Scottish Government over budget pressures in January 2024.
At the time NHS Grampian described the funding freeze as “hugely disappointing”.
Urgent safety upgrades at Ward 4 of Dr Gray’s Hospital, Moray’s largest inpatient mental health unit, were also dependant on the MRI project going ahead.
However, as a result of the funding cuts, those safety upgrades have still not been carried out.
In June, we revealed reports from the Moray Integration Joint Board stating that Ward 4 could “no longer be maintained as an inpatient service” and that more patients would be sent to Aberdeen.
Speaking during a visit to Dr Gray’s Hospital that month, Health Secretary Neil Gray failed to make “firm committments” about providing extra cash for the safety works.
He also said the Scottish Government was working with NHS Grampian to ensure a “more appropriate service” for mental health care at Dr Gray’s was established.