By the AIMS Campaigns Team
February 2025
AIMS wrote to Neil Gray, the Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care, in January this year regarding the implementation of a Continuity of Carer model of care in Scotland, after hearing him present at the Scotland Maternity & Midwifery Festival in November 2024.
AIMS had been encouraged to hear the Minister remind the audience that Continuity of Carer is one of the two cornerstone recommendations of Best Start, and that he is keen to make progress. He also mentioned that all NHS Boards had been asked to prioritise underprivileged and minority ethnic groups.
AIMS asked how Healthcare Improvement in Scotland (HIS) are incorporating the Continuity of Carer policy as they develop new Scottish standards for maternity services. We also enquired if there is any published information on the progress of Continuity of Carer, and what the plans are to monitor progress. AIMS has been campaigning for this model of care now for decades. See here for more details: Position Paper Continuity of Carer.
In response, an official at the Department for Health and Social Care told us that we should expect the model of care to be in place across Scotland by mid-2026, with progress being monitored internally. We also learnt that Healthcare Improvement Scotland are being commissioned to develop Standards for maternity care. We understand that draft standards will be published for public consultation in May 2025, and the Scottish Government seems to expect the inclusion of Continuity of Carer models of care within these standards.
This all seems to be welcome news, and we are reassured that the Continuity of Carer policy is also firmly stated in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2024-25: Serving Scotland, as follows:
“This year we will ensure more women receive care and support from the same midwife from pregnancy through birth, prioritising those who are most likely to benefit, such as minority ethnic women and women with additional social needs.”
Watch this space!
It would be great to have some volunteers from Scotland and Wales to keep us up to date. If you are interested in knowing more please contact us at campaigns@aims.org.uk
We hope that this page is of interest, especially to our colleagues in the maternity services improvement community.
The AIMS Campaigns Team relies on Volunteers to carry out its work. If you would like to collaborate with us, are looking for further information about our work, or would like to join our team, please email campaigns@aims.org.uk.
You are welcome to quote from or link to this article in your own work to improve maternity services but please credit AIMS as the source. If you are using a quote please include the following words: “Quote from the AIMS article {URL}. AIMS is a charity that works towards better births for all by campaigning and information sharing, protecting human rights in childbirth and helping maternity service users to know their rights, whatever birth they want, and wherever they want it. See www.aims.org.uk"
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