21-05-2025
Lanarkshire MSP calls for government to help parents using Wishaw neonatal unit
Conservative Meghan Gallacher raised concerns about the uncertain and traumatising situation many face when dealing with neonatal services in Scotland.
A Lanarkshire MSP has called for government ministers to secure overnight accommodation for parents in neonatal wards.
Conservative Meghan Gallacher raised concerns about the uncertain and traumatising situation many face when dealing with neonatal services in Scotland.
Speaking during her member's business in Holyrood on the Best Start New Model of Neonatal Care, she raised concerns over the downgrading of the neonatal department at University Hospital Wishaw and called for Ministers to ensure that there is sufficient overnight accommodation, so parents can stay with their babies in hospitals.
The intention to downgrade neonatal units, including Wishaw's neonatal department, provoked strong backlash from communities and campaign groups in Lanarkshire, with an online petition surpassing 25,000 signatures to stop the downgrade.
Central Scotland list MSP Meghan said: 'In 2025, it is scandalous that there appears to be no solutions in place to provide parents with reassurance that they will be able to stay by their newborn side.
'If the Scottish Government is committed to providing high-quality care to the sickest babies, they need to get a move on, the implementation of the recommendations of the Best Start Model for neonatal care has been painfully slow, leading to great uncertainty.
'Families who may be affected in the future and staff working in these services deserve improved facilities and to know how long this new model will take to implement.
'That is why I'm calling on the Minister to ensure that every hospital currently specialising in neonatal care has the appropriate accommodation for parents.
'This is essential for any new model of neonatal care – it's basic common sense.
'I feel so passionately about this issue because I am a mum, and I will continue to push this Government to improve neonatal services across Scotland and stop the downgrade of Wishaw neonatal department.'
The Scottish Government plans to downgrade the Wishaw unit's status after accepting 76 recommendations made in the 'Best Start' report from 2017.
It means that the number of NICU units that would be able to care for children born from 27 weeks would reduce from eight to three, in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
A campaign against the plans to changes services at Wishaw hospital, led by the Wishaw Neonatal Warriors group, said the plans would be 'catastrophic'.
The Scottish Government's plans to downgrade the unit has also been an issue in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Scottish Parliamentary by-election.
SNP candidate Katy Loudon spoke on the issue in an interview conducted by the Daily Record last week.
She said: 'Fundamentally, the science, the experts, the medical research, tells us the best outcomes for these children, which will affect them for the rest of their life - these very small and sick babies - is to have them in a specialist centre. And as a parent that's what I would want for my child.'
She added: 'I will listen to the expertise of people who have made those medical judgements and who have advised the Scottish Government on what is the best thing to do here.
'The best thing to do is to have a specialist centre when you are dealing with something which is affecting such a small subset then that's what I would want for my own child.'
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