Meeting of the Parliament 05 November 2025 [Draft]
Healthcare Improvement Scotland will also use the themes that emerge from the findings in its inspections to identify and implement national improvements. Furthermore, we have commissioned HIS to develop national standards for maternity care. The standards are currently open for a public consultation, which closes on Friday. Those standards will be published early in 2026.
As I draw my remarks to a conclusion, I note the comments last week from Jaki Lambert, the director of the RCM in Scotland, in response to the BBC’s “Disclosure” programme. She said:
“Many of the solutions are there in the recommendations of the Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce”.
I assure members that the programme for implementing those recommendations is under way. There is a huge amount to do to implement the full range of actions for improvement, and for the full value of the changes to be taken account of throughout the process.
It is right that, as I have outlined today and last week, I assure the Parliament that the Government and I are committed to driving forward improvements across maternity services. I am keen to work collaboratively with colleagues across the chamber to do just that to bring about the improvements that are needed, and I remain open and willing to listen to the views of members on what more can be done.
I move amendment S6M-19512.3, to leave out from “, and calls” to end and insert:
“; agrees that a national investigation into the design and delivery of maternity services should take place if Scotland’s new Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce recommends it, and that it should give full consideration to staff and patient welfare; notes that the taskforce will review the findings of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s inspections into all maternity units in Scotland; recognises that no neonatal unit in Scotland is closing, and notes that the new model of neonatal intensive care in Scotland was recommended by the Best Start 2017 report, following robust clinical evidence on the safest and best possible model for the sickest babies.”
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