SERIOUSLY ill newborn babies in Glasgow are being transferred to other hospitals because of a shortage of specialist staff, it has been claimed.

A representative from a charity that support bereaved parents said she has “grave concerns” that neonates are being moved to other units and separated from mothers and claimed that midwives were “afraid to speak out".

Jean Mitchell said it was not uncommon for units, at hospitals including the Princess Royal Maternity, to be closed "at the beginning of a shift" because of a shortage of specially trained, neonatal staff.

Ms Mitchell addressed her concerns to Health Secretary Shona Robison and a panel from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde yesterday at the board’s annual review meeting.

She said: “We have a high standard of unit, a high standard of equipment but the one, critical thing we don’t have is enough staff to look after the babies.

“Individual units are closing and babies are being transferred to other units, not from a lack of cots but because they don’t have experienced staff to man the units.

“At the beginning of a shift, it’s not uncommon for the unit to be closed and babies sent to another unit."

She said that midwives were afraid to speak out on the issue.

But she added: “It is never ideal to transfer a seriously ill baby.

“I do quite a lot of work with SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) and we look after parents who require support after the loss of a baby.

“Often the mothers are not transferred, because they may have had a Caesarean section. I wonder how many mothers are not re-united with their babies?

“We have a major issue across Scotland and in particular in the Glasgow area.”

Rosslyn Crockett, head of nursing at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said babies were transferred if neonatal units were busy and that units work “as a network” with the level of experience amongst staff “uniform” across each site.

The board said there was “no issue” with staffing levels across its neonatal units.

Mr Robison said a review into neonatal care had begun a few weeks ago and said: “The review will absolutely consider the concerns raised.”

A spokesman for the health board said:”We recently held a successful recruitment drive and have no issues with staffing levels across the neonatal units.

“Our neonatal staff do excellent work in what is a very demanding and rewarding specialty and we value their dedication to providing excellent care.

“They have to undertake very thorough training to enable them to work in our new-natal units.

“We staff our units to the recognised British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) standards.”

In June it emerged that a specialist type of heart surgery on infants had been temporarily suspended at Scotland’s newest hospital after three infant deaths in one month.

The babies died at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow earlier this year after surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. It led to children who should have been treated at the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, following the closure of Yorkhill in June, being temporarily treated at Evelina Children's Hospital in London.