The Scottish Conservatives have called on Nicola Sturgeon to restore local maternity services across Scotland and to rule out any future downgradings.
At First Minister’s Questions, Douglas Ross highlighted the concerns of local medical experts over the Scottish Government’s review of maternity provision in Moray, which recommends most pregnant women from there giving birth at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
The experts have gone public with their criticism of this - and the report’s failure to back the restoration of a community-led maternity unit at Dr Gray’s hospital in Elgin - after failing to receive a response from the Health Secretary.
The Scottish Conservative leader recounted the harrowing experiences of pregnant women who were forced to give birth far from home.
Douglas Ross raised the case of Billie Cowie who was repeatedly admitted to hospital in Aberdeen – 60 miles from her home – over the festive period, an experience she branded “awful”.
He also described the experience of Cara Williamson, who was transferred from Aberdeen to Kirkcaldy because of a lack of beds.
She was then told she would not be allowed to go with her new-born twins when they were transferred to the neo-natal unit at Ninewells in Dundee, and would have to wait for a separate ambulance.
Douglas Ross said the experiences of these women and others was unacceptable in Scotland in 2022.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “More than a dozen local medical experts wrote to the Health Secretary to criticise the report into maternity services in Moray, describing its recommendations as ‘unworkable’ and ‘unsafe’.
“They went public this week because they had no response from the SNP Government.
“This issue doesn’t just affect mothers in Moray and the North of Scotland. Over the last 15 years of this government, the temporary or permanent closure of maternity units has reduced services in Inverclyde, Paisley, Skye, Caithness, Angus, Perth, and Galloway.
“It’s unacceptable to force pregnant women into lengthy and distressing journeys. Nobody, anywhere in Scotland, should have to go through this in 2022.
“The First Minister was elected on a manifesto that promised to restore a consultant-led maternity unit at Dr Gray’s hospital. She needs to keep that promise - and worryingly she refused to give a commitment that there will be no further downgrades to maternity units anywhere in Scotland.”