A fresh bid to prevent the downgrading of Dundee and Fife’s neonatal intensive care units has been launched at Holyrood.
The campaign follows Scottish Government plans to centralise care for the sickest newborns away from city’s Ninewells hospital, and Victoria in Kirkcaldy.
It would mean babies born at less than 27 weeks, lighter than 800 grams or who need complex life support could be transferred hours from where they were born to Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Around one in 50 newborns in Scotland require the most intensive level three care.
New petition considered in Holyrood
Concerned mums lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament, attracting over 1,800 supporters.
MSPs on the public petitions committee will consider the demand for the SNP government to halt the plans and commission an independent review.
One mum, Angela Tierney, whose newborn was cared for at the NICU in Wishaw – which is also slated to be downgraded – believes she would not have seen her late son Olly if he had been transferred before dying at five days old.
She told STV News: “I was critically ill after Olly was born, if he was transferred to one of the super units I would never have seen him because he died at five days old.
“No one thought Olly would pass away but premature births are unpredictable.”
Petitions committee member Maurice Golden, an Angus-based North East MSP, criticised the scoring system used to grade the existing units.
The NICU in Dundee recently underwent a £7 million refurbishment.
MSPs criticise scoring system for under-threat NICUs
Mr Golden told The Courier: “The scoring method used seems removed from the reality of urgent care in these hospitals.
“Many families in Tayside will have gone through the difficult journey of having a baby admitted to NICU at Ninewells, or will know someone who has.
“I don’t believe sending expecting mums 60 miles, or more, by emergency ambulance is a good thing for mother or baby.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said the government is “burying its head in the sand” over opposition from clinicians and local communities.
She said: “I am pleased to see progress being made in this important campaign against the SNP’s reckless plans to centralise specialist neonatal care.
Data used to make Dundee and Fife NICU decision ‘flawed’
“The data on which this decision has been made is flawed; there are staff shortages which might mean that the sickest babies could be transferred to Aberdeen – a three-hour journey away.
“The SNP must do right by families across Scotland and scrap these damaging proposals.”
Health minister Jenni Minto said the changes were in line with advice from experts.
She said: “These three Neonatal Intensive Care Units will offer the most specialist and complex care in fewer centres for the most pre-term and sickest babies.
“Local neonatal units will continue to offer care to babies who need it, including a level of neonatal intensive care, and no neonatal units are closing as part of these plans.”
Conversation