The Scottish Government have today re-announced support for new mothers and their families. This includes more than £50 million to improve access to mental health support for expectant and new mothers, and £12 million to transform maternity and neonatal services across Scotland.
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'RCM welcomes commitment from Scottish Government to drive up maternity standards’

By RCM welcomes commitment from Scottish Government to drive up maternity standards’ on 02 January 2020 Midwives NHS RCM Maternity Services NHS Scotland Scotland RCM Scotland Scottish Maternity Services Scottish Government

The Scottish Government have today re-announced support for new mothers and their families. This includes more than £50 million to improve access to mental health support for expectant and new mothers, and £12 million to transform maternity and neonatal services across Scotland.

Responding RCM’s Director for Scotland, Dr Mary Ross Davie said; “While the RCM has previously welcomed this commitment, we must ensure we have enough midwives in post to deliver the governments ambitious plans for Scotland’s maternity services.

“The government needs to do more to retain midwives in the NHS – we need to keep as many experienced midwives in the service as possible. To do this we must ensure that maternity services are a positive place to work, with great opportunities for career development, good staffing levels and good pay, terms and conditions. 

“We are happy to see a financial investment in services to support women with perinatal mental health problems. Our maternity services are among the best in the UK, if not the world and the Scottish Government are making efforts to improve, but it’s crucial we have more specialist mental health midwives in all hospitals with maternity services in Scotland.”

 

ENDS

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk. 

Notes to Editors

More than 600,000 babies have been born in an NHS Scotland hospital over the past decade.

The latest figures from ISD Scotland show there were 616,448 births in hospitals between 2008-2018.

ISD Births in Scottish Hospitals data.

In March the First Minster announced £50 million for improving access to mental health services for expectant and new mothers.

 

The international Year of the Midwife was announced by the World Health Organization in May 2019.

https://www.who.int/campaigns/year-of-the-nurse-and-the-midwife-2020 

 

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.

 

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