Wigtownshire Maternity Services to Remain

A DECISION has been made to retain the existing arrangements for maternity services in Wigtownshire for the foreseeable future. 

Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board made that decision today (24 September) following an independently-led review and subsequent public consultation – retaining the home birth model, with no birthing facility at Galloway Community Hospital.

A decision had been due at the June meeting of the IJB, but had to be deferred due to rules surrounding General Elections.

Chairman of the IJB Andy McFarlane said: “One thing I would want to stress from the start is our confidence as a Board in the maternity services as they stand currently across the region, including Wigtownshire.

“It was acknowledged that care is of a very high standard, and it was noted that there is an enhanced over delivered through the Oak Tree Family Centre.”

“The decision about provision of birthing services in Wigtownshire was not an easy one to arrive at, as every member of the Board is acutely aware of calls from communities to have the fullest range of services made available locally.

“We were fully informed, thanks to the review and the consultation, of the issues faced by expectant mothers in terms of travelling to give birth in Dumfries.

“This is a situation which dates from 2018, when birthing services within Galloway Community Hospital were suspended on a temporary basis due to unexpected staff shortages.

“To be very clear, neither of the two leading options which emerged from the review led by independent chairs NHS Ayrshire and Arran Medical Director Crawford McGuffie and NHS Ayrshire and Arran Executive Nurse Director Jennifer Wilson, and which then went out to consultation, would have seen midwives return on a permanent basis to Galloway Community Hospital.

“One option we consulted on was around providing the same model of low-risk birthing service currently offered for home births, with the midwife arriving at Galloway Community Hospital.

“And this would only have been for births which were pre-planned and had been assessed as low-risk, which accounts for the minority of births in this area, and stands annually at a very small number. The majority of births would have continued to be directed to take place in Dumfries, in line with best clinical practice.

“The other option we consulted on was retaining the current arrangement, where a home birth service is offered but all hospital births are directed to take place in Dumfries.

“A great deal has had to be considered here.

“Taking on board the original report, all of the facts, and all of the thoughts and perspectives, the IJB concluded that the status quo represents the best and most deliverable and sustainable model now and for the foreseeable future.

“Introducing this service at Galloway Community Hospital for what would be a small number of eligible expectant mothers would not represent a significant difference from a home birth, as the resources in terms of midwifery staff who would be on hand to provide support would be exactly the same. Only the setting would change.

“And while we would ideally want to offer an option of a hospital birth which does not require travelling to Dumfries, we recognised that neither approach would actually end this requirement for the majority of expectant mothers.

“We also considered what was deliverable safely at present, and the fact that both across the region and nationally there is a routine requirement on mothers to make sometimes quite lengthy journeys to locations where birthing services can be provided.

“This has been a challenging decision on what is a very personal and emotional subject, where there is great strength of feeling, and where we as a Board recognise a commitment to patient-centred care.

“In conclusion, the Board agreed that the approach which serves the majority of expectant mothers in Wigtownshire is the one which is reasonable and appropriate for all, but with that continuing option of home birth.

“I want to personally and sincerely thank everyone who took the time to contribute their perspectives, and to help inform this very important decision. I do very much hope that you feel your voice has been heard, and understand the reasons behind this decision.”

The documents provided to the IJB to inform their decision can be viewed by visiting the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care website at https://dghscp.co.uk/integration-joint-board/integration-joint-board-meetings/