Roadside births in Rural & Remote Scotland

[ccfilm]

Clara Carbajo, a documentary film student at the National Film and Television School, is developing a short film exploring the experiences of women who are forced to travel long distances for maternity care in rural and remote Scotland.

She is hoping to speak to mothers who have had the terrifying experience of travelling long distances while in labour or of giving birth on the roadside before reaching hospital.

The film will represent these traumatic experiences with great sensitivity and care, in order to shine a light on the shockingly poor provision faced by pregnant women in rural and remote Scotland.

If you are willing to talk to Clara, please get in touch. Taking part in a research call doesn’t commit you to taking part in the film, which is still in the research stage.

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I wish Clara every success. I come from one of these remote areas and it is shocking, women routinely expected to travel over a hundred miles in all weathers to give birth, and to then travel back again post-partum. They are cut off from family and friends as well, and you are screwed if you don't drive: public transport is often unreliable and accommodation prices in Inverness are extremely high.

I’m rural but found it fairly straightforward as it was agreed I’d be admitted and induced rather than risk travelling in labour. McDa twins so already considered high risk / having conservative management.

Where I live expectant mothers are asked to leave home 2 weeks before their due dates to avoid these issues. The NHS funding only covers a fraction of the accommodation costs, let alone considering the logistics of working partners and older children, and being away from home at such a vulnerable time.

Still, it's not unheard of for babies to be born in ambulances, in helicopters and on ferries and lifeboats.

Rural/island areas are not places its easy to be born, or for eldery/palliative care.

Agree that if women have to relocate due to distance all accommodation costs should be covered. But what do you think should happen - that every single hospital should have full provision of paediatric, obstetric, midwifery and anaesthetic cover. Where would these staff be found for 24/7 cover? As well as cover for holidays, sick leave, study leave. Don’t forget all the associated equipment? The cost would surely bankrupt the Scottish NHS.

I hope this won’t be another stick to bash midwives with.

Rather short sighted in your opinion. What about areas where maternity care has been deliberately downgraded by the nhs as a cost cutting exercise? Like Elgin? And Wick? They had full obstetric cover. Got told it was a temporary thing. Decades later it’s still not been reinstated. But it’s ok coz the central belt are fully covered isn’t it?! And there’s no private maternity care in Scotland so you are tied to the nhs. Grossly unfair.