by Bill Heaney
As Scottish Labour’s debate calling for a national investigation into maternity and neonatal care gets underway, the party has shared the experiences of women who have used these services.
Claire Fleming said: “The decline in maternity services has been obvious through my pregnancies. I had my children in 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2021.
“My first daughter was still-born, but the support I had was brilliant compared to when I had my son Andrew in 2021, by which time it was awful.
“I had extreme morning sickness known as hyperemesis and gestational diabetes, and for every single appointment I had to travel 70 miles, even if it was just for five minutes.
“Managing the childcare with two other children was very difficult. When I was being sick my husband was having to take time off work but it also meant taking my daughter out of nursery, and I also spent a lot of time alone.
“As recently as 2015, I had a named midwife and I only had to travel for my 20-week scan.
“The only treatment for hyperemesis was a drip in my arm yet I had to travel every time — why couldn’t they have done this closer to home?”
Zoe Lawson, whose son was born prematurely and spent time in hospital NICU, said “Without the specialist neonatal care he received there, my son would not be here today. The idea that services like this could be reduced or removed is not just concerning, it is terrifying.
“I lived through the reality of what these units are for. They are not a ‘nice to have’ or an optional service that families can travel hours for. When your baby is critically ill, every minute counts.
“The thought of mothers and fathers having to travel long distances, be separated from their premature or sick newborns, or watch their baby fight for life without the same level of specialist support, is unimaginable, yet that is exactly what these proposals would force families to face.
“NICU parents are already traumatised, exhausted, financially stretched, and clinging to hope. Reducing the number of NICUs will break families. It will cost lives. It will deepen inequality, especially for those who cannot afford travel or accommodation to be near their baby.
“The NICU didn’t just care for Archie, they held us up as parents when we were falling apart.
“They saved him, and they saved us. Scotland should be strengthening neonatal services, not stripping them back.
“Our babies deserve better, and parents deserve to know their children will have the same chance of survival that Archie had.
“Cutting NICU services is not a ‘restructuring’. It is a direct threat to vulnerable babies and their families, and I will not be silent about it.”
Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie, left, said “We need a national investigation, not in place of the Taskforce but alongside it, starting now. That’s what families want.
“We need maternity services that wrap their arms around women and babies rather than expecting them to wait to be induced for days, because it’s more convenient.
“We need transparency not secrecy and for the duty of candour to be effective rather than just words on a page.
“We need more than 3 specialist neonatal services to cover the diverse geography of Scotland.
“We need to learn from best international practice to deliver the highest standards of remote and rural care.
“We need a proper workforce plan that ensures our investment in the next generation of midwives pays off and that maternity units are properly staffed.
“And we need to ensure that we hold those at the top accountable while fostering a workplace culture where staff feel supported and there is a willingness to learn from mistakes.”
She added: “This is about investing in the next generation. Investing in women’s health. Investing in our rural communities. Investing in Scotland’s future.”
On Thursday, things changed when the Scottish Government said it will carry out an investigation into maternity services, Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie said “This is a welcome change of heart less than 24 hours after SNP MSPs voted against Scottish Labour’s calls for a national investigation.
“It is right that SNP Ministers have finally listened to the families and the experts and agreed to carry out this important work.“It is crucial that this investigation goes ahead with the urgency needed and covers both maternity and neonatal care.
“Too many women and babies have been let down when it matters most, and their experiences must be at the heart of this review.
“It is essential that this investigation provides a clear picture of what is going on in maternity and neonatal services in Scotland, and crucially it must lead to meaningful action to improve these services.”