MSP Looks At Skye Births unit

by Andrew Kellock, Press and Journal

Health bosses in Grampian have been urged to look to NHS Highland in their review of maternity services ordered by Health Minister Andy Kerr.

Banff and Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson is convinced the type of birthing centres operated in the Highlands and Islands can provide the model for a network of baby units in the north-east.

He visited the Dr Mackinnon Memorial Hospital at Broadford, Skye, yesterday as part of the campaign to allow expectant mothers at Fraserburgh, Banff and Aboyne to continue delivering locally.Health chiefs have backed plans to close the maternity wards in the hospitals in all three Aberdeenshire towns.

Mr Kerr has refused to endorse the controversial proposals however, and sent them back to the drawing board.NHS Grampian has until the end of this month to produce a report on whether or not there is scope for providing birth units for low-risk mothers "along the lines of ones already in place in other parts of rural Scotland".

Health board bosses will meet maternity campaigners and other community representatives today to discuss potential ways forward. Mr Stevenson will send a report on his Skye visit to NHS Grampian before the end of this week.

The SNP MSP said last night: "The key message is that, as mothers have become more confident with the midwife-led service, the number of births at the Skye unit has increased.

"They feel as if they are being treated as individuals rather than just patients.

"What has happened in Broadford is a very useful example.

"First, it confirms that, given the choice, expectant mothers will choose to have their babies locally rather than travel.

"Second, it shows that a revamped service on Skye has led to a trebling of births in the unit, from eight in 2003 to 24 in 2005.

"Third, and more importantly in terms of the campaign, it shows that a unit can be viable at a fairly low level.

"At Fraserburgh and Banff we are talking about annual figures in excess of 50. If the unit in Broadford can be run successfully and safely at that level then there is no reason why that system cannot be deployed in the north-east."

Following a public consultation, which was criticised by campaigners as not being wide-ranging enough, Aberdeenshire Community Health Partnership, which is responsible for organising and providing NHS services in the area, recommended the closure of the Fraserburgh, Aboyne and Banff maternity units.

Its proposals, which involve keeping open the delivery ward at Peterhead Hospital but setting it targets, were backed by the NHS Grampian board.Health chiefs insist they are only responding to the falling birth rate and the growing population of elderly people.

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Stevenson Welcomes Funding Boost for Older and Disabled Homeowners in Aberdeenshire

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed news that Aberdeenshire Council will receive an extra £272,000 this year to fund adaptations to the homes of older people and others with disabilities to help them to continue to live independently.

The funding is part of a package from Communities Scotland, announced by Communities and Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell, which provides an extra £15 million for the Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG) bringing the total to £82 million in 2007/2008. The additional funding will also help local authorities prepare to implement the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, which gives them powers to create new services, such as specialist advice, available to homeowners who need to repair and improve their homes.

Commenting, Mr. Stevenson said:

"These extra funds will allow Aberdeenshire Council to raise the standard of living for some of the most vulnerable residents in our area.

"This will help older and disabled people in Banff & Buchan adapt their homes to support them to live independently, and will enable the Council to fund new approaches to helping owners fund repairs and improvements."
-ends-

Note to Editors:

[1] Communities Scotland's announcement can be found at:

Stevenson Hails "Extremely Useful" Visit To Broadford

BOOST FOR LOCAL MATERNITY CAMPAIGN

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has hailed his fact-finding visit to NHS Highland’s birthing unit at Broadford on the Isle of Skye as “extremely useful”.

The SNP MSP met with Skye & Lochalsh Lead Midwife Rona Scott at the Dr MacKinnon Memorial Hospital yesterday (Tuesday) for discussions and a tour of the facility.

Health Minister Andy Kerr refused to endorse NHS Grampian’s plans to axe the units at Fraserburgh and Banff and ordered that the Health Board look at providing ‘birth units’ in the towns along the lines of the successful units in place elsewhere in Scotland.

Mt Stevenson had earlier in the year flagged up the success of the units run by NHS Highland, in particular the one at Broadford which had seen a trebling in the number of expectant mothers giving birth in their local area.

Commenting on his fact-finding visit, Mr Stevenson said:

“This was an extremely useful meeting indeed and I am very grateful to Lead Midwife Rona Scott for giving so freely of her time to answer my questions.

“The set-up at Broadford is an excellent example of the type of facility which could work very easily in places such as Banff and Fraserburgh. NHS Grampian have already confirmed to me in discussions last week that the criteria for expectant mothers using a birthing unit would be exactly the same as that for those who currently give birth in their own locality.

“I therefore see no reason why expectant mothers who are ‘low risk’ should not enjoy the benefits of a birthing unit and be able to give birth in their own ommunity without the need for a long and sometimes stressful journey into Aberdeen.

“I was impressed by the dedication of the midwives at Broadford and their commitment to ongoing development of their skills through a series of initiatives. One of NHS Grampian’s key arguments against local units is that 50 births per annum is insufficient to maintain and develop midwifery skills. The midwives at Broadford have shown quite clearly that that can be quite easily overcome and that a valuable – and valued – local service can be maintained.

“I will be making a submission to both NHS Grampian and the Minister for Health based on my findings within the next few days.”