Meeting of the Parliament 09 June 2026 [Draft]
I thank Patricia Gibson for securing the motion for the first members’ business debate and welcome the chance to speak about such an important issue. I take the opportunity to thank the Geddes family from the West Scotland region that I represent. They lost their son, Clark, early in 2021 after he was born too soon because his mother, Ami, became life-threateningly ill with pre-eclampsia.
Clark’s parents, Ami and Stuart Geddes, teamed up with Action on Pre-Eclampsia, which Patricia Gibson has mentioned, to launch Clark’s campaign. Named for their son, the campaign asks for pregnant people in Scotland to be able to access placental growth factor testing: a blood test that has been available in England since 2016. Happily, Clark’s campaign was successful, with the Scottish Government agreeing to provide funding for placental growth factor testing to pregnant people across Scotland. That should now be available all across Scotland and could mean that pre-eclampsia is diagnosed more swiftly, which will enable people to get the right help when they need it.
As Patricia Gibson has said, the most common signs that pregnant people may have pre-eclampsia are protein in their urine and high blood pressure, which is what health professionals check for at regular checks throughout pregnancy. Placental growth factor testing may be used if someone is at higher risk, has high blood pressure or protein in their urine.
I thank Clark’s parents for campaigning to help other parents avoid the horrific loss that they endured. To quote Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”