Galloway maternity concerns to be raised with Public Health Minister

Scotland’s public health minister will hear about concerns over a maternity crisis in the west of the region on Friday.Maree Todd will meet Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson and Mid Galloway and Wigtown West Councillor Jackie McCamon.The hospital’s maternity unit closed in 2018 due to a staffing shortage which has yet to be resolved.That has led to several cases where women from Wigtownshire have given birth in cars and ambulances before making it to the maternity unit at Dumfries Infirmary.In one case, a woman from Newton Stewart made it to DGRI while she was in labour, but was sent home as she couldn’t be seen by a midwife.

She later gave birth in an ambulance on the A745 near Gatehouse.Mr Carson said: “This is simply totally unacceptable that this woman was put through this trauma.“Unfortunately it is not the first story of this kind and clearly action has to be taken by the Scottish Government to address this worrying situation in the south west corner of Scotland.“I will be raising this story and others when I meet with the minister next week as this crisis needs to be addressed now.“It is alarming that stories like this, and others, are emerging regularly because of difficulties being experienced in local maternity services.”Councillor McCamon raised concerns about the situation at the full council last month.She tabled a motion calling for all options to be explored to have babies delivered at Galloway Community Hospital again.The motion won the backing of elected members.