Rural maternity services in Scotland are in a “horrendous” state as mums need better help to ensure they can give birth near home, an MSP warns.
Meghan Gallacher claims pregnant women in the north and north-east should be able to have their babies without being forced to travel long distances.
Moray’s maternity unit at Dr Gray’s Hospital has now been temporarily downgraded for five years, leaving many mums with no option but to give birth in Aberdeen.
Last year we reported one woman ended up giving birth to her baby at the side of the A96 with only her husband nearby.
Meanwhile, just eight babies were delivered at the maternity unit in Caithness in 2022 and residents in the north of Scotland often must journey to Inverness.
Ms Gallacher warned gaps in services which are now affecting the whole country started “in the hearts of our rural communities”.
Under new plans, the Scottish Government plan to reduce the number of hospitals providing specialist care for babies from eight to three.
The SNP claims this will be the best approach based on evidence published in a July report on the future of maternity provision.
But Ms Gallacher fears it will only leave mums more worried as maternity care is “stripped from the heart of communities”.
The Central Scotland MSP, who gave birth to her first child last year, raised her concerns over the state of maternity units in parliament yesterday.
‘Horrific situations’
She also raised spoke up on a special episode of The Stooshie, the Scottish politics podcast from DC Thomson.
“We’ve seen Caithness impacted severely with their maternity services being downgraded,” she told us.
“Of course, we then had the situation at Dr. Grey’s with the temporary, and I’ll say that very loosely, downgrading of maternity services there.
“I can understand the upset and worry that this is causing to mums everywhere because they want to be able to give birth as close to home as possible to have that vital support network nearby them during their time of need.”
She added: “These are really horrific situations that mums have been put in so that’s why it’s so important to be as close to home as possible.
“No mum should have to make a stressful journey when they’re already probably stressed with the process of going through childbirth.”
Ms Gallacher also claimed that Holyrood could do much more to be a friendlier workplace for MSPs and staff with children.
LISTEN: Kate Forbes on giving birth and postnatal depression
In response to concerns brought up in parliament over the reduction in specialist units, SNP public health minister Jenni Minto defended the decision.
She said: “The Best Start outlined that Scotland should move from the current model of eight neonatal intensive care units to a model of three units.
“The evidence is clear that the chances of survival are better for these highest risk babies when they are cared for in units by clinicians who see more of these babies, and with access to specialist support services.”
Ms Minto ensured MSPs that hospitals stripped of their specialist units will still sometimes be able to provide intensive care treatment for newborns.
It comes as former SNP finance secretary Kate Forbes shared her own experience with postnatal depression.
In a candid interview, the Highland MSP shared her own personal story as she was left feeling an “intense sadness”.
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