Specialist Breastfeeding Support in Lothian

The motion

That the Parliament expresses its concern at the closure of specialist drop-in breastfeeding clinics in Lothian; understands that, in December 2017, NHS Lothian took the decision to close five such specialist clinics, which could support more than 60 women each week, and instated two appointment-only specialist clinics at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and St John’s Hospital, which require a referral from a midwife, health visitor or family nurse in partnership with an Infant Feeding Advisor; considers that women who encounter difficulties breastfeeding should have timely access to expert support to minimise any disruption to infant feeding and to support their own wellbeing, and that introducing referrals and appointments creates unnecessary barriers to assistance; recognises that travel to a specialist clinic at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary or St John’s Hospital can create further difficulty for parents within the region; regrets what it sees as the lack of public consultation that preceded these service changes; believes that specialist, one-to-one support should be available to all breastfeeding mothers regardless of the age of the breastfeeding infant, or the nature of the difficulty with breastfeeding, and would welcome the reinstatement of drop-in specialist clinics.

No recorded vote on this motion. Most motions are never debated, and many that are debated are agreed without a division. Vote records are published from 2011.

Lab 5 Green 2 Con 1 LD 1

Party shown is each supporter’s party when the motion was published.

No contribution in the Official Report cites S5M-14192 by reference.