What is the SNP doing to improve maternity services?

Improving maternity safety is a paramount, and the SNP is clear that expectant mothers that maternity services in Scotland are very safe for both mother and baby.

In addition, the Scotland’s world leading Patient Safety Perinatal Improvement Programme works with maternity services across Scotland to drive improvements in care for mothers and babies.

Expectant mothers can be reassured maternity services in Scotland are largely safe and of a high quality.

The vast majority of women in Scotland receive safe, high quality, compassionate care, but, where concerns are identified, the Scottish Government expect Boards to act immediately to put things right.

As the Scottish Government the SNP is increasing midwife numbers, providing record funding to NHS Boards, and establishing a new Maternity and Neonatal Oversight Group to strengthen services.

The Scottish Government has also commissioned Healthcare Improvement to develop Maternity Standards to drive improvement in care, which will be published in early 2026.

In Scotland, we’ve chosen to act now – not wait for a lengthy review process.

Scotland is already taking practical, evidence-based action to strengthen maternity care.
This ensures that lessons are learned quickly, and improvements are made without delay.

Scottish independent, unannounced inspections by Healthcare Improvement Scotland are identifying issues on the ground and driving real improvements immediately.

Scotland is already taking practical, evidence-based action to strengthen maternity care. This ensures that lessons are learned quickly, and improvements are made without delay.

This programme is working exactly as intended – identifying where improvements are needed and holding services to account.

Rigorous scrutiny like this demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.