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The report by NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) identified 26 areas where it said the required standards had not been met. And it described staff in tears as they told of understaffing and feeling undervalued. They also spoke of a negative culture, a lack of visible senior management and a "suboptimal" skill mix. The report followed an unannounced inspection of the maternity unit at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary in June. It found that staff were "working hard to provide compassionate and responsive care in very challenging circumstances". NHS Lothian said it had since recruited more than 70 midwives, 30 of whom had already started, with the rest due to be in place by the end of December. But after Health Secretary Neil Gray made a statement in the Scottish Parliament on the situation, Lothian Green MSP Lorna Slater said the figure revealed a "staggering" level of understaffing. She said: "That NHS Lothian were short by more than 70 midwives, that whistleblowers had to sound the alarm about patient and staff safety, how is it that the Scottish Government didn't know what was happening in our maternity services? “And how will the minister take us from an NHS culture or reacting to bad news to one of proactively assessing and evaluating the state of our NHS services so we don't end up in this situation again?" Mr Gray said he shared the concerns about staffing levels. "I said as much to the chief executive of NHS Lothian, I said I expected that staffing complement to be resolved and for the skill mix within the staffing complement to be properly addressed." Independent Lothian MSP Jeremy Balfour said he knew from personal experience, when his first daughter died, the care and love given by the maternity unit in Edinburgh. But he continued: "Clearly there is an issue going on and I welcome the Cabinet Secretary's statement. Will he commit to coming back to the chamber early next year to give an update on how things are progressing in Lothian? Because I'm afraid many of us in the city do not have the confidence that these changes will happen quickly or efficiently." And Lothian Tory MSP Sue Webber also spoke out. She said: "We've known about these issues for over a year. In August 2024, new mother Louise Williamson spoke about her horrific labour after she was repeatedly ignored; in December, in a verbal briefing to Lothian MSPs and MPs, NHS Lothian advised action was under way and further assurances were given on progress on 20 June 2025. “Yet three days later, on 23 June, an unannounced HIS inspection confirmed that nothing had changed. "Women deserve to know their maternity services are safe and today NHS Lothian told MSPs these issues will take time to resolve. What confidence can families have that this time there will be real tangible changes?" Mr Gray said it was not true to say nothing has changed. "This report itself explicitly goes into detail about the improvements made in maternity triage processes. I do share the concern, though, about the pace of progress. "I have set out very clearly my expectation to NHS Lothian to come forward with improvements and I've set timelines on when I expect to hear more, by the end of November." And he said he would ensure parliament was kept informed. Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs said: “Maternity and other women’s services are some of the most important functions of our health service but, like other vital areas, these have been left to deteriorate by a complacent SNP government. “The situation at the Royal Infirmary’s maternity unit must be a wake-up call to ministers, given the population growth facing the Lothian region. We must see continued investment in our midwifery and neonatal services.” Professor Caroline Hiscox, chief executive of NHS Lothian, accepted the report was "concerning". She said: "I apologise to women, people who use the service, and their families and can reassure them that these issues are being taken extremely seriously." Stay in the know when it comes to the latest news from Edinburgh and the Lothians with our daily newsletter. Sign up for free today!
