Rural maternity services in focus at Holyrood

DEMANDS for ‘real progress’ on returning maternity services to Wigtownshire have been heard at Holyrood.

New health secretary Angela Constance has been urged to make advancements in reforming maternity services at Galloway Community Hospital

Galloway and West MSP Finlay Carson warned that if reform and renewal are to mean anything to families then action must now be taken at pace. He said: “In January, the government said that Stranraer would be among the first rural areas targeted by the new maternity and neonatal task force.
“Yet women in Wigtownshire have seen no change and there are still no planned births at Galloway Community Hospital, which results too often in a 70-mile dash to Dumfries.”

He thanked and praised NHS staff, including maternity services across rural communities, particularly in Galloway, where they were working under pressure.

Mr Carson asked the health chief: “When does the government expect to report on and provide clarity on maternity services, particularly in Stranraer?”

In her response, Ms Constance said that she very much appreciated Finlay Carson’s contribution, adding: “I will be happy to ensure that Finlay Carson is briefed about the work of the taskforce, which has a focus on the workforce – where it is, how it works and how we will support it in the future.
“At its core, the work of the taskforce concerns how women and their babies are looked after.
“I will return to the chamber next week to make a full statement on a range of issues that impact on maternity services.
“In particular, I have been made very aware of the challenges that rural parts of our country face, whether in Stranraer or in Caithness.”