Fewer Caithness women giving birth locally

The number of pregnant women who had their babies delivered in Caithness last year was the lowest since local maternity services were downgraded.

Eight women had their babies at Caithness General's midwife-led unit in Wick, while 202 gave birth more than 100 miles (160km) away in Inverness.

In 2015, when there was still a consultant-led unit, more than 160 mothers had their babies locally.

Campaigners worry the local unit could close down altogether.

NHS Highland said local births were an option for women who had low-risk pregnancies.

The Scottish government said safe maternity as close to home as practicably possible was vital, and it recognised the challenges facing remote and rural health boards in providing services.

• Women's health care in Caithness to be reviewed

• Concerns at mums' 100-mile hospital trip

• Midwife-led unit introduced at hospital

The health board said women with medical or pregnancy complications were referred to Inverness' Raigmore Hospital where consultant obstetric and neonatal services were available.

It said the community midwifery unit at Wick was run by a dedicated and hard-working team.

Caithness Health Action Team (Chat) gathered statistics for births through freedom of information requests to NHS Highland.

In 2015, 164 women had their babies delivered at Caithness General and 91 at Raigmore.

The following year, the numbers were 37 at the Wick hospital and 156 in Inverness.

Internal review

Before last year, the previous lowest number of women having babies at Caithness General was nine in 2019.

Chat said there were concerns for the unit's future and called for an independent inquiry into maternity service provision.

NHS Highland said: "There is no change in the current service provision as it stands and there is no external independent review at this time.

"We are, however, internally reviewing our services, the performance and improvement potential in line with the quality and safety requirements we have to work within and the resources available to us."

The Scottish government said work was continuing to ensure services were developed in a flexible way recognising local population needs and geographic challenges.

It said there had already been a review carried out of health services in the north of Scotland, called Best Start and commissioned by Grampian, Highland and the three island health boards.

A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "The work to improve services in the north, support the effective implementation of the Best Start recommendations is now being led by the most senior midwives for all northern boards."