Meeting of the Parliament 22 December 2022
Members will be pleased that some of the points that I had intended to make have already been made, so I will be quite brief. I thank Douglas Ross for bringing the debate to the chamber. One of the first speeches that I made in Parliament, in June 2021, was on a motion lodged by Douglas Ross that called for action to deliver locally based maternity services for women in Moray. I think that we can all agree that it is a concern that we are here again, some 18 months later, debating the same topic.
I was going to discuss the issues that exist in my South Scotland region, which Finlay Carson talked about. The fact that women are having to travel from Stranraer right across to Dumfries is wholly unacceptable. Anyone who has been on that road would accept that point. I hope that the cabinet secretary has something to say about it.
As members will know, I have raised the issue of a women’s health champion many times in the chamber. Unfortunately, that issue is yet another example of the Scottish Government falling short on women’s health. It is clear that a women’s health champion is needed to spearhead many women’s health-related campaigns and issues. The situation with regard to maternity services is a clear indication that we need to get such a champion in place. I have been asking since June when an appointment can be made, and I ask the cabinet secretary to ensure that it is one of the first appointments made in 2023.
We need to have someone who can push on issues such as maternity services, scrutinise what is being done, go back to the Government and report to us so that we have the information that we need. That would benefit the women in Moray, whom we are discussing in this debate, and those in my region, and I am sure that there are examples of other areas in which women would benefit from the appointment of a women’s health champion. Therefore, it is really important that we get that done.
I pay tribute to the campaigners who have consistently stood up for the services that they want. It is our responsibility to keep bringing the issue back to the chamber and to push the Government harder and harder on it. I will not stop asking for a women’s health champion to be put in place, because I fully believe that having such a champion will help us to address some of the issues.