A SIGNIFICANT piece of engagement work is set to get underway focused on maternity services in the west of the region.
Two separate independent chairs have been appointed to oversee this review of maternity services and to look at developing a model for the future. They are NHS Ayrshire and Arran medical director Crawford McGuffie, and NHS Ayrshire and Arran executive nurse director Jennifer Wilson.
They will be supported by a midwifery expert, Angela Cunningham, a retired Associate Director for Women’s and Children’s services.
Welcoming the start of the engagement programme, Ms Wilson said: “I am delighted that the community engagement work focused on maternity services in Wigtownshire is now getting underway.
“I am conscious that this is an aspect of health and social care services where there is a very large amount of interest, and where a significant number of people are very keen to contribute their perspectives.”
Dr McGuffie said “From mid-February onwards, we’ll be going out across communities in Wigtownshire to seek to speak with people about maternity services, to discuss the challenges and limitations you face, to ensure we’ve fully considered the options available to us, and from that to seek to develop a route map for the future.
“Everyone should be supported to take part, and we would ask everyone to help promote the engagement timetable that has been put in place, and to help ensure everyone who wishes to play their part has the opportunity to do so.
“In our roles as independent chairs, we are committed to be very present during engagement activity, attending these events, and we are looking forward to meeting everybody as these conversations take place.”
A range of opportunities to contribute to this review of service will be offered over coming months, from drop-in sessions to online sessions, and downloadable surveys.
The first two dates scheduled for open public engagement are at Stranraer Library, Stranraer, 10.30 am to 3 pm, March 3; then McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart, 10.30 am to 3 pm on March 14.
Meanwhile, a bookable online engagement for anyone in the Wigtown has been established, to open on March 22 2023 from 9 am to 4 pm, with anyone interested in participating asked to email [email protected]
Details on further engagement opportunities will be published shortly.
To complete the online survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/maternity2023
Anyone seeking more information on the engagement around maternity services is invited to make contact by emailing [email protected]
Ms Cunningham said: “We’ll be looking we provide updates on engagement opportunities over the next few months as this work moves forward, in the hope that this exchange of information and perspectives with our communities can help to shape deliverable ambitions around these services for the coming years.”
