News Story

John Swinney has apologised to two women who suffered from miscarriages following failures in NHS care.

The First Minister said he was “terribly sorry” to hear the experiences of Elizabeth Crammond and Katie Lyon.

The SNP leader admitted they had not received the care they should have during their pregnancies.

The women were at Holyrood during FMQs when Scottish Labour acting leader Dame Jackie Baillie raised their cases and warned their experiences were not “unique”.

Dame Jackie said Ms Crammond’s pregnancy was considered high risk following previous miscarriages.

When she experienced bleeding and pain, she tried to contact the early pregnancy unit in Kirkcaldy.

“She asked for help 60 times but wasn’t seen,” Dame Jackie told the FM.

“Elizabeth was so desperate she had two private scans, but nine days later, when she was finally seen by the NHS, she was told she had miscarried.

The Labour MSP said Ms Crammond felt “failed” by NHS Fife and NHS Tayside and said the incidents have had a “devastating and lasting impact on her and her family”.

Dame Jackie also raised the experience of Ms Lyon, who noticed spotting on December 23 during a pregnancy following a previous miscarriage.

Ms Lyon attended A&E on Christmas Eve after her condition deteriorated and Dame Jackie said, “because there was no capacity to see her in the maternity service”.

The MSP said staff struggled to co-ordinate with gynaecology and maternity care for Ms Lyon.

“When she finally got a scan, no heartbeat could be found,” Dame Jackie said.

“It was another seven days before her miscarriage was confirmed, only after she had two further scans.”

She urged Mr Swinney to ensure miscarriage care was urgently reviewed.

Dame Jackie told the First Minister: “As Katy herself said, families should not have to endure repeated loss before their concerns are taken seriously.”

The First Minister said: “I am terribly sorry for the experience that these two women have had within our health services.”

He said the framework for the delivery of maternity care “should address the circumstances that Jackie Baillie has put to me but it has clearly not done that”.

Mr Swinney said the Government was looking into what happened to Ms Crammon, saying: “She should not have had that experience.”

He said everyone using Scotland’s health service should receive the best and most appropriate care.

He added: “In the cases that Jackie Baillie has put to me today, that clearly has not happened, and I apologise for that.

“I will happily explore both those cases to provide as much information and as much response as I can to Elizabeth and to Katie, to whom I express my sympathy and my empathy at what they have experienced.”