Highland mum criticises 'ridiculous' neonatal reform plans

EXCLUSIVE

A Beauly mum feels plans to downgrade services at certain baby units in Scotland are "ridiculous".

The Scottish Government are looking to cut the number of neonatal intensive care units, with Kirkcaldy, Wishaw, Kilmarnock, Glasgow's Princess Royal Maternity Hospital, and Dundee becoming Local Neonatal Units, providing limited intensive care.

Three national intensive care units will be based at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary and the Aberdeen Maternity Unit.

Chloe Munro had to travel from Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee to have her baby son in Tayside.

She says expert staff were a "lifeline" for both her and her now 15-month-old boy William.

Health Secretary Angela Constance said the decision regarding neonatal reform, which was due to be implemented this year, is based on the "strongest clinical evidence."

'Babies lives shouldn't be at risk' - Chloe Munro

At 27 weeks pregnant, Chloe began feeling generally unwell and a week later concerns were raised about her baby boy's growth.

She entered preterm labour at 28 weeks and was bleeding heavily.

Thankfully this stopped, but she had to stay in Raigmore for several days and was in and out of the hospital for regular check-ups and scans.

Around four weeks after entering preterm labour, Chloe was told she would need to go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Dundee.

Her and her husband Michael had to drive down from the Highlands themselves.

Within an hour of arriving at Ninewells hospital and after previously raising concerns about the condition, Chloe was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system.

She was given treatment and the following day at 32 weeks preganant, William was delivered by Cesarean section.

Speaking exclusively to our news team, Chloe has a huge amount of gratitude to those who looked after her and her son in Dundee.

She said: "They were fantastic with myself and William and I was able to visit him every single day, there wasn't any issues. 

"They were so great at explaining everything with a little baby. 

"He was only 2lb 14 ounces, so he was very small. 

"The doctors came and saw me as soon as I had him and explained everything about William, that he was doing ok and how he needed 'this, that and the next thing', just a few extras because he was premature.

"They were so reassuring and comforting, I couldn't have asked for anymore from them.

"It was essential, it was a lifeline for me and William."

When asked about the neonatal reform plans across Scotland, 27-year-old Chloe feels passionately current services should remain.

She added: "It's ridiculous, babies lives shouldn't be at risk.

"They are a lifeline for people, especially for people who have very little babies or babies who are very unwell. 

"It's just not acceptable."

Fears over capacity

Lauren Bruce, from Blairgowrie, is helping lead the campaign against the neonatal reform plans.

Her daughter Grace had a rare perinatal stroke shortly after birth and believes the level of care available at Ninewells Hospital saved her life.

Lauren said: "These neonatologists and nurses, they are specialists and specialist care does not purely exist in Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow."

While explaining how units in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are surgical centres, Lauren outlined how not every baby needs that level of care and can be cared for at the neonatal intensive care units as they are right now.

She added: "It runs the risk taking away a cot from another baby who really needs it.

"There are still many unanswered questions, that's not just with myself but other parties as well.

"They have shared some of the same concerns as us in terms of capacity over Scotland for these babies and families.

"A lot of focus has been around the baby alone, but there's a mother that comes with that baby, and a whole family that comes with them too.

"It's not really as simple as just travelling further for care, there's a whole wider impact."

'Any baby that requires support will get the care they need' - Health Secretary

Health Secretary Angela Constance has outlined how they have a "managed transition" in place.

She said: “No neonatal units are closing and I want to reassure women and their families that we have sufficient capacity within neonatal units in Scotland, so any baby that requires support will get the care they need.

“The decision to move to three national Neonatal Intensive Care Units was based on the strongest clinical evidence and we have already been taking steps to make these important changes.

“Fundamentally this is about ensuring the small number of babies in Scotland who are the sickest, most pre-term and require the most complex care have the best possible chance of survival or improved outcomes.

"This change will only impact babies who are born at less than 27 weeks gestation, weigh less than 800 grams or who require multiple complex life support or neonatal surgeries.

“Both Bliss, the leading charity for premature babies, and clinical experts say this is the safest approach and will bring us in line with the approach elsewhere across the UK.

“However, I am clear we must get this move to a new model right and that is why we have a managed transition in place, taking learning from the early adopters in Kirkcaldy and Kilmarnock who have been working in this way since 2019, to allow safe and effective implementation.

“NHS Boards have been asked to shortly update the Government on their work to build any additional cot and maternity bed capacity required to ensure they can admit additional mums and babies who will use the three specialist units.

"I am closely monitoring progress and the Scottish Government has provided funding to support Boards to make this transition.”