Mums-to-be “need action, not warm words” on maternity services

31 Jul 2025
DG hosptial

At a meeting with the Scottish Government’s Public Health Minister Jenni Minto MSP at Wick General Hospital, campaigners warned that mums-to-be in Caithness “need action, not warm words” concerning local maternity services.

The meeting at the Wick hospital followed an initiation from Jamie Stone MP, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross David Green, and Councillor Ron Gunn - who is the current Chair of CHAT - to witness the problems first hand and speak to local campaigners and residents.

During the meeting, campaigners raised Orkney's model of provision - a midwife-led maternity unit supported by consultants - and urged the Scottish Government to act. Jenni Minto agreed to speak to NHS Highland and consider an independent review of maternity services. 

Maternity at Caithness General was downgraded almost ten years ago, forcing pregnant women in Caithness to make a 100-mile journey to give birth at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. A Freedom of Information request made to NHS Highland earlier this year revealed that only 15 women gave birth at the community midwife-led unit in Wick in 2024.

Last year, a report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s (SHRC) into ‘Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands’, revealed that the right to health in the Far North of Scotland was seriously inadequate with regards to accessibility and availability

The Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) argues that the existing level of health care involving long journeys for treatment is a breach of human rights affecting women and babies and many other patients, bringing their case to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights earlier this year.

Commenting, Mr Stone said:

“Listening, considering and reviewing is all well and good, but I’ve made it clear that I’ll settle for nothing less than the reinstatement of a consultancy-led maternity unit in Caithness. 

“Caithness General was downgraded almost ten years ago - that’s ten years that this SNP Government have had to think about the issue - and they’re really insisting that they need more time?

“If they think that a morning in Wick is an effective smokescreen for their inaction, they’re wrong. They need to get serious about this and come up with a plan to protect the lives of mothers in the Far North. It’s a matter of urgency to everyone the Minister spoke with today and it should be a matter of urgency for the Scottish Government too. 

“I would like to pay particular tribute to Councillors Ron Gunn and Jan McEwan, who passionately pressed the case for the restoration of a locally delivered maternity service. It’s a shame the Minister could not provide them with any proper commitments.

“Personally, I made the point - which I’ve made so many times in the past - that there has never been a proper safety audit of expected mums having to travel very long distances to give birth, particularly in winter weather when the A9 can block all too easily. 

“After I was first elected in 2017, I requested a meeting in the Scottish parliament with the then-health minister Shona Robison when I made precisely this point. At the time, eight years ago now - the Minister agreed that it would be looked into. They’ve exhausted that response for too long now.”

David Green, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, said:

"Following our invitation, I was pleased the Minister met and sincerely listened to campaigners today.

"For women who have shared their harrowing experiences travelling to Inverness to give birth, it is action and not just warm words that is needed.

"As the UN has made clear in their report - of which the Scottish Government has yet to respond to - this is a question of human rights. 

“The Minister has agreed to look at an independent review of maternity services. I hope that quickly comes to fruition or otherwise we are left with PR stunts and zero progress.”

Councillor Ron Gunn, Chair of Caithness Health Action Team, said:

"We are glad that we had the opportunity to put our concerns to the Minister.

We emphasised just how big an impact the downgrading had on our community especially mums, babies and their families also the knock on effect to health care for women in the area.

“We told the experience one woman had regarding her induction in Raigmore. The Minister was quite shocked and stated that she would not expect that to happen to any women in any area of Scotland and asked NHS Highland managers to investigate the circumstances.

“We emphasized that we now have met with Health Secretaries, Government Ministers and NHS Highland Chief Executives but nothing has changed in almost 10 years, still 90% of our mums have to travel to Inverness to give birth.

“We finished by saying that we have been asking for an independent review of the maternity situation in Caithness for years, would she now consider this request. The Minister said she could not promise one but would look at the possibility."

“CHAT's patience is running out and we need Scottish Government action to improve the health situation for our community.”

ENDS.

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