A REVIEW of maternity care in Scotland which could see fewer women giving birth in hospital has been announced.
The Scottish Government has outlined the overhaul of care for pregnant women and newborn babies at a time when neonatal services are under pressure and a large number of midwives are nearing retirement.
The move also follows the publication of official guidelines saying it is safer for women with straightforward pregnancies to be looked after by midwives when they deliver - rather than in hospital.
Ministers have promised to increase the choices available to expectant mothers as a result of the report.
Gillian Smith, director of Royal College of Midwives Scotland, said: "It is right the Scottish Government are looking at our maternity and neonatal services, given the pressures on the service from more complex cases and the ageing workforce."
She continued: "The recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidelines and the Birthplace Study tell us we should be shifting our focus from hospital-based births to more conducive birth environments - whether that is in midwife-led units or at home. Our members want to deliver the best quality care for mothers and babies, and we look forward to being involved in this work and helping to shape the future direction for maternity services in Scotland."
Nice issued updated guidance last year which said when women were cared for by midwives, outside an acute hospital, interventions, such as the use of forceps or an epidural were fewer and the outcome for the baby was no different compared with an obstetric unit.
The guidance said that home births are as safe as those which take place in midwife-run units and traditional labour wards for the babies of low-risk mothers - except for those having their first child.
These findings will be taken into account by the Scottish Government along with recommendations from an independent review of maternity services in Morecambe Bay, due to be published next week, which was sparked by baby deaths
Maureen Watt, minister for public health, said: "We have excellent and safe maternity and neonatal services in Scotland, but we want to make sure they continue to improve.
"Changes to birth rate, demographics, new best practice and guidelines, all need to be taken into account as we look to enhance the services provided to babies and their families.
"That is exactly why we are going to assess the services we have in place at the moment, working with experts and expectant mums and dads themselves. This will lead to a refreshed model of care, focusing on what works well and spreading best practice across our NHS."
A "refreshed" model of maternity care is to be presented to ministers as a result of the review. More details about the process are expected to be released, following a short period of consultation.
Ms Smith said the college of midwives had already been working with the Scottish Government to plan future midwifery workforce requirements. NHS Scotland figures show that there are more midwives aged 50 to 54 than in any other age group, potentially presenting a problem staffing the service as people retire. There are 715 midwives working for the Scottish health service in the 50-54 age range. In contrast there are 267 aged 30 to 34.
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