Inspections to be introduced at Scotland’s maternity wards

The introduction of the inspections was welcomed by Kirsty Ferguson and Ryan O’Connor, whose second child Gia was born by caesarean at Forth Valley Royal Hospital last week.

Ryan said: “To be coming into a safe environment puts your mind at ease.

“Not everything goes to plan but anything that’s cropped up, they’ve been with us all the way through it.”

Gillian Morton, NHS Forth Valley’s general manager and head of midwifery, also welcomed the inspections and said safety was paramount.

“I guess the real challenge in maternity services is the fact that it’s unpredictable. We never know when women will go into labour, for example, so it is important that we have the right staff at the right time,” she said.

“I think it’s important for women and their families to understand that the vast majority of births in Scotland are safe and people have a good experience.

“Behind the scenes everybody is working together on making sure things are safer for families, and we do the learning when things go wrong.”