MSP Colin Smyth is ‘disappointed’ after Scottish Women’s Health Minister, Maree Todd, pulled out of a visit to the Galloway Hospital.
The meeting, requested by the Galloway Hospital Action Group supported by a cross party group of local MSPs to discuss midwife recruitment problems which led to midwife led births being suspended at the Clenoch Birthing Centre four years ago.
The meeting was supposed to take place at the Galloway Hospital in Stranraer but took place online on Friday.
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth raised the issue in with the Health Minister in Parliament recently and wrote to Maree Todd urging her follow the commitment made in Parliament that she was taking an interest in resolving the matter.
Commenting ahead of the meeting Colin Smyth said, “It’s disappointing that the Minister has pulled out of a visit to the Galloway Hospital.
“We need a clear message from the Health Minister that the Government are committed to the service being reinstated and an outline of what specific action they are taking to support the recruitment of midwifes in the region. It’s simply unacceptable not to have such a service for an area the size of Wigtownshire and a scandal that four years on from what was described as the temporary suspension of the service, mums to be are still having to travel to Dumfries”.
