Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Official Report 954KB pdf

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Point of Order

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I wonder whether you could outline to those of us who represent Moray and the Highlands how we could encourage the Scottish Government to provide a statement or, hopefully, a full debate on the future of maternity services in Moray. You will be aware that—[Interruption.]

Scottish National Party members are saying to raise it—

Thank you, members. We will hear Mr Ross.

I am sorry. We have the public health minister laughing and saying that this is not a point of order. I really hope that she comes back with more than laughter, because no one in Moray and no one in the Highlands and Islands is laughing about this issue—[Interruption.]

Mr Ross.

Will the member take an intervention? [Interruption.]

I am sure that all members of this Parliament are firmly committed to the idea that all voices are heard in this chamber, but I would prefer to hear one voice at a time. Could we hear Mr Ross? Thank you.

I am grateful, Presiding Officer. You will be aware that, at the Parliamentary Bureau this morning, the Scottish Conservatives proposed that the Scottish Government should dedicate time this week to debating the issue. That follows the amendment that I tried to make to the business on 28 June, because, as we know, NHS Grampian announced its plans for model 4 on 1 July.

At that time, the Minister for Parliamentary Business, George Adam, assured us that there would be opportunities for the Parliament to debate and scrutinise plans for model 4. Indeed, at the time, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care said to the BBC:

“I intend updating the Scottish Parliament as soon as is practicable at the beginning of the next session.”

We are now just a couple of weeks away from the end of the session, and the Scottish Government confirmed this morning that it would not include time this week to discuss the issue, which continues to cause great concern for mothers-to-be and families in Moray.

However, today, NHS Highland looked at the proposal to transfer more Moray women to Raigmore hospital, to give birth in Inverness. The Keep MUM group, which has campaigned so hard for the restoration of maternity services in Moray, called that meeting “tone deaf”. It said that what it heard at the meeting of NHS Highland does not encourage it that anything is going to happen at any time soon.

Will you advise us, therefore, Presiding Officer, as to how we can get some statement or answers—some response on the issue—from the Scottish Government?

To the SNP members who do not want the issue to be debated, I say, please remember that, more than four years ago, we were promised that the downgrading of maternity services in Moray would be temporary, and for a year. It is now more than four years later. We need answers. We need a response. We need to hear from the SNP Scottish Government what it is going to do to ensure that we can get maternity services back at Dr Gray’s hospital, to deliver for the women and families of Moray.

Thank you, Mr Ross, including for the advance notice. It is the case that whether a ministerial statement is to be proposed is a matter for the Scottish Government rather than a point of order for me to rule on. However, your comments are now on the record.