Maree Todd
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Is the minister willing to consider a cross-Government approach with local authorities, because the piece-by-piece approach of the 32 local authorities currently is not working?”
“Local authorities, which manage the majority of burial grounds in Scotland, must also comply with the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty, which requires them to have regard to religious needs when delivering services, including bereavement services.”
“The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that burial provision reflects the diverse religious and cultural needs of all communities.”
“Many local authorities charge a lower fee for residents, partly to recognise their indirect contributions to the provision and upkeep of burial grounds through the council tax system. Mr Linden has identified a challenging area for his constituents.”
“CAMHS is a specialist service for children and young people who have acute mental health needs, and referrals are based on clinical judgment. Although referrals are sometimes not accepted, that does not mean that support is not available.”
“We want people to be able to access thrombectomy treatment across Scotland, no matter where they live. That is why, in our election manifesto, we committed to providing a further £25 million, on top of the more than £51 million that we have already invested, to deliver a 24/7 thrombectomy service with national coverage.”
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“Many local authorities charge a lower fee for residents, partly to recognise their indirect contributions to the provision and upkeep of burial grounds through the council tax system. Mr Linden has identified a challenging area for his constituents. I have asked officials to engage with the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers on the issue to get a better understanding of the provision of burial space by local authorities for different faiths.”
“Is the minister willing to consider a cross-Government approach with local authorities, because the piece-by-piece approach of the 32 local authorities currently is not working? Maree Todd: The requirement of the 2016 act is that every local authority must provide burial space, but the 2016 act does not address burial space for any specific faith. Each local authority has to consider its obligations under the 2016 act, alongside equality legislation, and has to consider the potential indirect discrimination in relation to the provision of burial space for its residents. The burial fees are set by each burial authority—the Scottish Government has no role in setting or regulating those prices. The issue that Mr Linden describes has arisen because people in his area are being charged extra to bury folk in Glasgow.”
“Local authorities, which manage the majority of burial grounds in Scotland, must also comply with the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty, which requires them to have regard to religious needs when delivering services, including bereavement services. David Linden: With a welcome and growing Islamic population in Glasgow and in neighbouring authorities, two concerns have been put to me. First, we are running out of spaces—that has certainly been the case in Hallhill Road in my constituency for many years. Secondly, the legislation that the minister refers to makes provision for a two-tiered system of charging. Many people in Islamic communities who settled in Glasgow in the 1960s and 1970s but then moved out into a neighbouring authority are being charged exorbitant amounts.”
“The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that burial provision reflects the diverse religious and cultural needs of all communities. Under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016, local authorities are responsible for ensuring burial provision, including through joint arrangements with other local authorities, where appropriate. The Burial (Management) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 enable burial authorities to designate parts of burial grounds for particular faith or belief groups. Decisions on the provision and designation of burial grounds rest with individual burial authorities, reflecting local needs, and burial authorities are encouraged to engage with all faith communities to understand demand.”
“Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report. Official Report Email: official.report@parliament.scot Room T2.20 Telephone: 0131 348 5447 Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP The deadline for corrections to this edition is 20 working days after the date of publication.”
“By focusing on the right interventions for individuals and community-based support, we can build a Scotland in which neurodivergent individuals are understood, supported and empowered. I am grateful for colleagues’ interest in and focus on the issue across the Parliament, as well as for the lived and professional experience that we collectively bring. This Government remains committed to working in partnership to turn our ambition into reality. Meeting closed at 18:43. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting.”
“We are also working with partners to develop a shared national picture of what support around a child should look like and how services should work together to deliver that, which is underpinning ongoing system improvement. Alongside that, we have backed delivery with additional investment. Last year, we provided more than £2.9 million to support projects that improve access to neurodevelopmental support, which includes family support, transition pathways and new assessment tools. Let me be clear: the issues that are raised in the motion are complex but not insurmountable. There is now clear consensus across Parliament on the scale of the challenge and the need to act. Our shared task is to turn that consensus into delivery.”
“That highlighted the significant pressures that services are facing and the need for clearer national direction and practical support to deliver timely, neuro-affirming care across Scotland. We have acted on that learning by committing to a programme of action that is supported by a cross-sector task force, bringing together expertise from health and education bodies, local government and the third sector. That is strengthening national leadership, improving shared understanding and supporting tangible improvements for children, young people and their families. Progress is already being made. We have strengthened national communications on neurodevelopment and are in the final stages of improving information for families through Parent Club.”
“That work will build on the shared understanding from the summits that progress must be collective, sustained and focused on delivering practical change. The work on neurodevelopmental support for adults complements our ongoing implementation of the national neurodevelopmental specification for children and young people, which sets clear expectations that children and young people should receive support that meets their needs as early as possible. Recognising the challenges that are involved in meeting rising demand, we partnered with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities last year to review the specification’s implementation in order to identify what is working well and where further action is needed.”
“To achieve that vision of holistic support, we committed in our manifesto to implementing a stepped care approach for adults with neurodevelopmental conditions, as proposed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. That will reshape how support is accessed, ensuring that people can access support at the right time and close to home, without having to wait for a diagnosis before they receive help. The support will include improved information for people and their families, self-help resources, an increased third sector support offer and a reshaped clinical offer to make access to diagnostic assessment easier when that is the right step for the individual. Within the first 100 days of this parliamentary session, we will engage with stakeholders to agree a route map for delivering that new model for adults.”
“The overrepresentation of neurodivergent people in prisons and mental health settings highlights the consequences of unmet need. We have a collective responsibility to work together to make Scotland a place where neurodivergent people are welcomed, valued and supported. I note the statistics that Helen McDade referred to with regard to ADHD medication. However, it is important to recognise that medication is not the right intervention for everyone with ADHD. Although we must ensure that those who want and would benefit from medication can access it, caution is required when interpreting the statistics. Improving access to medication for people with ADHD is only one element of the holistic support that is needed for neurodivergent people.”
“The Scottish Government is not currently funding any research on cause and prevalence, but an independent review of mental health conditions, ADHD and autism is under way in England. Although the review is focused on England, we will undoubtedly consider any findings and learnings from it. The interim report notes that there is limited evidence that there has been any increase in prevalence and that the epidemiological evidence suggests that the numbers are broadly stable. I recognise that awareness of needs has increased and that an increasing number of people are seeking help and support. Collectively, we must meet that need, because the impact of going without support reaches beyond the individual and affects the workplace, the criminal justice system and the wider health infrastructure.”
“I acknowledge the historical context that is highlighted by the motion, which is that the diagnostic criteria have not always accounted for the high levels of co-occurrence in neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD and autism. That, alongside factors such as a lack of awareness and stigma, has contributed to underdiagnosis of adults. As a result, many people have gone without support for far too long. On the question of prevalence that Helen McDade raised, so far, the consensus on the scientific evidence is as described by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland. What we are seeing is not a sudden increase in neurodevelopmental conditions but the result of historical underdiagnosis, particularly for adults and some specific groups, as well as much greater awareness and reduced stigma.”
“Tapadh leibh, Oifigeir Riaghlaidh. I welcome the opportunity to respond to Helen McDade’s important motion, and I thank her for raising an issue that affects so many individuals, families and communities across Scotland. The Scottish Government recognises the increasing demand for ADHD and autism assessments among children and adults and the pressure that that is placing on services across the country. We also recognise the importance of the recent neurodevelopmental summits that brought together members from across the Parliament and beyond and established a clear cross-party consensus on the scale of the challenge and the need to make meaningful progress.”
“The economic cost of doing nothing is a luxury that Scotland cannot afford. Let us democratise support and eliminate the toxic damage of clinical uncertainty by giving people answers and tools on day 1. We need to fund the community, restructure our pathways and treat the crisis like a public health challenge. 18:36”
“A school can adapt a child’s environment or an employer can adjust an adult’s working hours based on the traits that they present with, rather than a clinical label. By filtering out and managing subclinical and mild cases in the community, we will clear the runway for our specialists. In that way, it will finally be possible for highly specialised psychiatric care, multidisciplinary diagnostic teams and complex medication management to be reserved strictly for the most complex acute cases and for those who genuinely require specialist medical care to be seen in weeks rather than years. The current strategy of building ever longer waiting lists and relying on a consultant-led appointment as some sort of silver bullet while human potential rots is a failure of statecraft and imagination.”
“If we shift our focus to immediate community- level empowerment, a person who is struggling with focus will be able to access help that day and will not need to wait three years for a consultant appointment at which they are told how to structure their day. That immediate support would resolve the damaging uncertainty and give subclinical individuals the belief that they need without ever touching an NHS waiting list. Where such community-led strategies are not enough, our existing local infrastructure—GPs, school counsellors and workplace occupational therapists—must be empowered to step in. Instead of waiting for a formal diagnostic passport, local professionals should implement targeted adjustments.”
“Those individuals face genuine executive dysfunction, sensory overload and emotional regulation challenges, but they do not require highly specialised medical intervention or prescription medication. We need to give people the tools to help themselves immediately. That means funding open-access community-led support groups. It also means rolling out digital coaching platforms supported by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, that are co-ordinated so that we have a single, solid standard on which we can rely and that teach time management, emotional regulation and organisational strategies.”
“Let us look at how Scotland tackles obesity: we do not send every person who gains weight straight to a bariatric surgeon or we would have a massive waiting list, as we do for neurodevelopmental conditions. Neither do we place them on a five- year waiting list for clinical consultation before they are allowed to change their diets. Instead, we use a public health structure that prioritises preventative action, public education and community initiatives. We must try to apply that framework to neurodiversity and mental health. The core of our strategy must move out of our hospitals and into our neighbourhoods for that first tier of treatment, because a significant proportion of cases on our current waiting lists are subclinical.”
“I agree with Victor Currie that it is damaging for a person to wait for a long time without a diagnosis if all their support hangs on it. I agree, too, that a number of people on the waiting lists will not meet the diagnostic thresholds. However, does he not agree that the appropriate way forward is to ensure that people get the right support at the right time in the right place when they first ask for it? Victor Currie: Absolutely. I thank the minister for her intervention. I will answer her question more fully in the rest of my speech. We cannot move through this crisis by funnelling every potential patient through a highly specialised illness pathway. We must stop treating neurodevelopmental differences like acute medical emergencies and start treating them through a modern public health framework.”
“I hope that the minister agrees that that is completely unacceptable, because we have young people aged between 19 and 25 whose lives are on hold because they cannot get proper communication about when they will get an assessment. Maree Todd: As I understand it, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, in response to increasing demand for neurodevelopmental diagnosis, has introduced a triaging system. That means that it recognises that some people are waiting longer than they were initially told for their assessments and is proactively communicating to them that they are waiting longer. I will go back and check the quality of the board’s communications to see whether it is giving an adequate explanation. NHS Appointments and Procedures 10.”
“Pauline McNeill: This is my third attempt to get an answer—the minister might have given it, but I want to see whether I have understood it. A couple of my constituents were referred for neurodevelopment assessment in July 2023, after completing the questionnaire. They were both told that there would be an 18-month wait. They were not told that they would be triaged in any way, but when they inquired back, they were told that it would be another two years, so at the moment, there is a four-year wait. Is the minister saying that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has told her that it is now prioritising the issue? It has not communicated that to patients.”
“NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that it is prioritising diagnostic assessments based on patient safety and risk, due to significant increasing demand for neurodevelopmental diagnosis. That means that some patients are waiting longer than was initially expected for diagnostic assessments, which is being proactively communicated to them. The Scottish Government continues to work with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, health boards, local authorities, the third sector and other delivery partners to improve access to neurodevelopmental support. Last year, we provided more than £2.9 million of additional funding to support several projects, including supplementing health board diagnostic assessment capacity.”
“However, I expect those to be designed and addressed to ensure that children receive as quickly as possible the right specialist support for their particular needs. ME and Long Covid (Specialist Clinics) 6.”
“CAMHS is not the correct service for children who seek a diagnosis for a neurodevelopmental condition such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, unless they have a co-existing mental health condition. For many young people, it is more likely that placement on to an ND pathway will ensure that the right help and support is provided. That approach is intended to ensure that young people who need support for their mental health from CAMHS are able to receive it in a timely manner and that specialist neurodevelopmental support is available whenever it is needed. The design and management of those services is for individual health boards to decide, and each health board will have its own arrangements in place, and relationships with local partners.”
“Subsequently, there have been pilots of neuroaffirmative diagnosis services in the third sector, and we have had concrete proposals from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland on how we can create better capacity in the system. When will families be able to access consistent and effective neurodevelopmental assessment and support, wherever they live in Scotland, without fear of being turned away? Maree Todd: Joe Long will understand that we are continuing to work with national health service boards, local authorities, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the third sector and other delivery partners to improve access to neurodevelopmental support for children, young people and adults.”
“CAMHS is a specialist service for children and young people who have acute mental health needs, and referrals are based on clinical judgment. Although referrals are sometimes not accepted, that does not mean that support is not available. In line with the national CAMHS specification, if a referral is not accepted, the individual must be sensitively signposted to appropriate services, including community-based provision. We are working with health boards to understand the causes of the rates of non- accepted referrals, ensuring compliance with the specification and delivering timely access to appropriate alternative support. Joe Long: A common reason for referral to CAMHS is for neurodevelopmental assessment. Combined neurodevelopmental pathways have been trialled as part of the Scottish strategy for autism, which ended in 2021.”
“The intention with the new model of care is that mothers in suspected extreme pre-term labour—those mums who are expected to give birth before 27 weeks—are transferred before they give birth, when the baby is in utero, to maternity units in the hospitals that have neonatal intensive care units. It is recognised that it will not always be possible to transfer mothers before they give birth. In those cases, our Scottish specialist transport and retrieval service—ScotSTAR—teams will transfer those babies in specialist ambulances that are equipped to care for neonates, as has been the established practice for many years. Babies who receive care in one of the three intensive care units in Scotland will be transferred back to their local neonatal unit for ongoing care as soon as possible.”
“This week, Lauren wrote to the First Minister, saying: “What concerns me most is the number of parents who have shared their stories, pleading with you and the Scottish Government to withdraw this proposal. Families have laid bare some of the most frightening, personal and traumatic moments of their lives in the hope that their voices will finally be heard. Yet there is a growing fear that these experiences will simply be acknowledged and ignored.” What assurance can the minister give to my constituent that her concern will not be realised? Maree Todd: The first thing to say is that the vast majority of babies who need additional care after birth will continue to get that care in their local area.”
“The change will affect about 10 of those babies, who will be moved to be cared for in one of the three specialist units until they are fit to return to Ninewells. I must be absolutely clear: the vast majority of sick babies will continue to be cared for in their local neonatal units. Murdo Fraser: Last week, I received correspondence from Lauren Bruce, a mum from Blairgowrie, whose daughter, Grace, suffered a rare stroke shortly after birth at Ninewells hospital. Her concern is that, under the current plan to downgrade the neonatal intensive care unit there, a baby with that condition would be moved two hours away from their family—a journey that Lauren fears that her daughter would not have survived.”
“I want to reassure families that we are making that change for the very best reason: to save babies’ lives. The evidence is clear that the outcomes for the smallest and sickest babies will be improved by the change. The outcomes for those babies are best in units with a high throughput of cases, where support services such as surgery and cardiac care are co-located. The change brings Scotland into line with existing neonatal intensive care service models across the UK. It will affect a very small number of babies—those born at less than 27 weeks’ gestation, those weighing less than 800g, and the very sickest babies, who need multiple complex life support or surgery. To put that in context, around 470 babies are admitted to neonatal care in Ninewells every year.”
“Once that has been established, we will work at pace to develop a delivery plan with timescales for service expansion.”
“Evidence from stroke services suggests that those hyperacute stroke nursing roles are already having a positive impact on the delivery of acute and hyperacute stroke care. We have funded an education package to help staff in general practices, emergency departments and the Scottish Ambulance Service to recognise stroke symptoms. In 2025, more than 1,600 NHS staff attended those education sessions. We are also procuring a national artificial intelligence solution for NHS Scotland to help all NHS boards to identify rapidly those patients who would benefit from thrombectomy. As I said in my earlier answer, we are still committed to having a 24/7 thrombectomy service and Public Services Delivery Scotland is working with NHS boards to establish fully the resource that is required to deliver that.”
“They have no direct access and must rely on transfer to Glasgow, where, in reality, the service is restricted to weekdays for access to referrals, the last procedure is at around 5 pm and there is no service at all on Sundays. The consequence is stark: if someone in Galloway has a stroke in the early evening, they are in effect denied that life- changing treatment. Outcomes for my constituents are being determined not by clinical need but by geography and the clock. That cannot be justified. What will the minister do, and when will she do it, to end that inequality? Maree Todd: We have already provided funding for thrombectomy nurses in spoke sites to maximise the access to thrombectomy. NHS Dumfries and Galloway received £115,936 in 2025-26.”
“We want people to be able to access thrombectomy treatment across Scotland, no matter where they live. That is why, in our election manifesto, we committed to providing a further £25 million, on top of the more than £51 million that we have already invested, to deliver a 24/7 thrombectomy service with national coverage. We have now commissioned Public Services Delivery Scotland to work with national health service boards to develop detailed resource and cost modelling for a 24/7 thrombectomy service. Finlay Carson: Each year, more than 11,000 people have a stroke, yet only 2 per cent of them receive a thrombectomy—the very treatment that could prevent lifelong disability. Right now, there is a clear and unacceptable inequality across the service, and my constituents in Galloway and West Dumfries are paying the price.”
“Published in Edinburgh by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP All documents are available on the Scottish Parliament website at: www.parliament.scot Information on non-endorsed print suppliers is available here: www.parliament.scot/documents For information on the Scottish Parliament contact Public Information on: Telephone: 0131 348 5000 Textphone: 0800 092 7100 Email: sp.info@parliament.scot”
“The most up-to-date version is available here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report Members and other meeting participants who wish to suggest corrections to their contributions should contact the Official Report. Official Report Email: official.report@parliament.scot Room T2.20 Telephone: 0131 348 5447 Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP The deadline for corrections to this edition is 20 working days after the date of publication.”
“The invaluable work of third sector agencies such as Action on Pre-eclampsia ensures that we continue to raise awareness and drive improvements in care, and I am very happy to place on record our appreciation for their ongoing work. I finish by acknowledging the profound impacts that pre-eclampsia can have on women and families in Scotland. We know that, without early detection and management, women and their babies are placed at significant risk. No opportunity to prevent harm should be missed. Every woman deserves the highest standards of care, wherever she lives. Meeting closed at 18:45. This is a draft Official Report and is subject to correction between publication and archiving, which will take place no later than 35 working days after the date of the meeting.”
“Let me make it clear to Monica Lennon, for whom I have a great deal of fondness and respect, that I have responsibility for women’s health. That is a responsibility that I am delighted to have, and on which I am keen to continue Jenni Minto’s good, collaborative work. Anna Glasier is currently still the women’s health champion, and phase 2 of the women’s health plan notes that the role will continue, so it is crystal clear that women’s health is still a very high priority for this Government. Many women in Scotland are affected by the long-term health risks associated with pre- eclampsia. That is why we have prioritised action to ensure that women who experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are informed about their lifetime CVD risk and are provided with opportunities to reduce that risk.”
“There are many points in a woman’s life at which there are important opportunities to identify cardiovascular risk, but pregnancy absolutely remains a key opportunity for intervention. The health of women and girls is a clear priority for this Government and for me, and I want to ensure that women and girls in Scotland experience the best possible health throughout their lives. I am proud that Scotland was the first country in the UK to deliver a women’s health plan. Women’s heart health has been a clear priority in the plan from day 1, and that focus has continued into the plan’s second phase, which was published in January 2026. Phase 2 of the women’s health plan has a renewed focus on optimising future health. It sets out the action that we will take from preconception and throughout the course of women’s lives.”
“The issue of retrospective identification is one that I will take back to officials to find out what we are doing to retrospectively identify middle-aged women like me who had pre-eclampsia many years ago, when the system was not in place. The pathway will ensure that the window of opportunity that is presented by pregnancy is not lost. It will enable us to provide not only reactive care but proactive prevention, which is what we are after in Scotland. We are currently testing the pathway in NHS Lothian, supported by funding from the British Heart Foundation, and we are committed to evaluating its impact robustly. That is exactly the kind of innovation that ensures the provision of joined-up, person-centred care that is focused on long-term outcomes.”
“Many people are not aware of the future health implications and still see pre-eclampsia as a condition that affects only the period before, during and after birth. Maree Todd: The pathway is clear in its intent. We want to identify women with cardiovascular risk who can be treated early. Such women are provided with a home blood pressure monitor in the period immediately after giving birth and are supported through remote monitoring via an online platform and by their primary care team. There is a strong communication process. Crucially, the follow-up is structured and sustained. Such women are reviewed at six weeks after birth, as normal, again at four months, and then annually thereafter for life. Therefore, it should be perfectly possible to identify such women prospectively and to ensure that they are provided with good care.”
“I am pleased to inform members that a short-life working group is focusing on reducing cardiovascular risk in women who experience high blood pressure in pregnancy. In 2025, that group developed a national pathway to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk. The pathway represents a significant step forward in how we support women, not just during pregnancy but across their entire life course. Miles Briggs: Today, I met a constituent who told me that, when they were pregnant, they were given their medical records to take to meetings, because no digitalised records of such conditions were kept. One of my biggest concerns is that, in a successful pregnancy, the health of the baby is the key concern of all involved, but what work is the Government undertaking to ensure that women are aware of future health implications?”
“We have developed new pathways, which are designed not only to improve immediate outcomes but to address the longer-term impacts of the condition and reduce the longer-term maternal risk of cardiovascular disease, in line with the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve population health. Over recent years, our understanding of pre- eclampsia has evolved. We now know that it is not just a complication of pregnancy but a marker of future health risk. Women who experience in pregnancy hypertensive disorders such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and pre- eclampsia have an increased lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, and an increased risk of premature death.”
“Together with the organisation Action on Pre-eclampsia, those families put forward the case for improved testing to prevent tragic cases such as theirs from occurring again. I am pleased to note that, since that work was established, all women in Scotland now have access to enhanced testing, which is known as placental growth factor—PlFG—testing. We are also continuing to strengthen our systems. We are developing an updated national maternity early warning score—MEWS—to support the earlier identification of patients whose condition is deteriorating, including those with high blood pressure, and rapid and appropriate escalation to ensure that women receive the right care and treatment as quickly as possible.”
“The best start programme and the work of the maternity and neonatal safety collaborative continue to ensure early recognition of risk, consistent escalation of care and equitable access to high-quality antenatal services for all women across all parts of Scotland. However, I am certainly willing to link in with Public Health Scotland, as Patricia Gibson requested, to determine how the data that she referred to could be collected and reported. Routine antenatal surveillance remains our first line of defence. Women are invited to attend regular midwife appointments, at which a routine review of symptoms and an assessment of blood pressure and urine is completed for all. In 2024, the First Minister met families who had suffered the devastating loss of their babies as a result of pre-eclampsia.”
“It happens when the placenta does not work as well as it should, leading to high blood pressure and in some cases affecting different organs in the body, as we have heard. Globally, as others have said, the picture is stark. Every year, an estimated 76,000 mothers and 500,000 babies lose their lives due to pre-eclampsia and related hypertensive conditions in pregnancy. The vast majority of those tragedies occur in low-income countries and are potentially preventable. That tells us that, in many cases, the difference between life and death is timely recognition, appropriate escalation and access to high-quality care. Here in Scotland, maternal safety is a national priority. We maintain robust, evidence-based systems for the early detection and management of pre-eclampsia.”
“I welcome the opportunity to mark world pre-eclampsia day, which was held on 22 May. It is an important moment that reminds us of not only the scale of the condition globally but our responsibility in Scotland to lead with compassion, evidence and action. I am very grateful to Patricia Gibson for raising the issue and I will start by saying how sorry I am for her loss. There have been powerful personal testimonies from both Patricia Gibson from the mother’s perspective and Jack Middleton from the child’s perspective. All politics is personal and we are at our most powerful when we use our personal experiences to advocate for change. Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy-specific condition that can, typically, arise after 20 weeks of pregnancy.”
“We will continue to work closely across the United Kingdom and devolved Governments on those matters. As I said in my original answer, we will consult on the retail display of vapes within our first 100 days in government. We are working closely with the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland to strengthen the enforcement of existing legislation that bans the sale of vapes to those who are under 18, including through checks on the age of sale, alongside providing guidance and support to businesses.”