The article discusses the need for improvements in patient safety and care at maternity units in Scotland, particularly with regards to the investigation of baby deaths. The Scottish government has announced plans to strengthen safety regulations and provide more funding to NHS boards to improve care.
The article mentions several specific cases of baby deaths that were caused by poor care or neglect, including the death of three-day-old Mason Scott McLean, who died from feeding issues and sepsis after being in the hospital for six hours. The investigation into his death found that staff had failed to recognize how sick he was due to incomplete records and missed tests.
The article also quotes Dr Helen Mactier, a retired consultant neonatologist, who says that families affected by poor maternity care are looking for an apology and an "open and honest" account of what happened. She believes that improvements are needed in the way baby deaths are investigated, particularly with regards to ensuring that staff listen to patients and take action to prevent mistakes.
The article concludes that while Scotland has made progress in reducing infant mortality, neonatal deaths, and stillbirths in recent years, more work needs to be done to improve patient safety and care at maternity units.
The article mentions several specific cases of baby deaths that were caused by poor care or neglect, including the death of three-day-old Mason Scott McLean, who died from feeding issues and sepsis after being in the hospital for six hours. The investigation into his death found that staff had failed to recognize how sick he was due to incomplete records and missed tests.
The article also quotes Dr Helen Mactier, a retired consultant neonatologist, who says that families affected by poor maternity care are looking for an apology and an "open and honest" account of what happened. She believes that improvements are needed in the way baby deaths are investigated, particularly with regards to ensuring that staff listen to patients and take action to prevent mistakes.
The article concludes that while Scotland has made progress in reducing infant mortality, neonatal deaths, and stillbirths in recent years, more work needs to be done to improve patient safety and care at maternity units.
! Need better training for staff & more funding ASAP 
. Can't let innocent babies suffer like Mason did 
. Families deserve truth & apology, not just lip service 
.
the scottish government is trying to make things better but we gotta ask ourselves why are they only now doing this after so many tragic cases... it's like we're all waiting for someone else to fix our own problems 
. what if these staff members didn't realize how bad mason was? were they just too overwhelmed or was there something more systemic going on? anyway, i think dr mactier is onto something with the need for open and honest accounts... it's not just about apologizing but also about learning from our mistakes so we can do better in the future 
.
. it's not like they're ignoring the issue or somethin, but more like they're finally realizin the need for change 
. still, 6 hours in hospital for a 3-day-old baby? that's just unacceptable 
.Scotland needs to get its act together when it comes to lookin after new lives 
The fact that staff missed some crucial tests and didn't even notice how sick Mason was because of incomplete records is just unacceptable. It's like, how can you be a doctor and still miss those signs? 
The Scottish government needs to step up and provide more funding to NHS boards so they can improve care and make sure staff are trained properly.
I feel so sorry for the families of those poor babies 
. It's just not right that they're having to go through such pain and trauma due to hospital mistakes. We need to make sure that our hospitals are doing everything they can to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place 
. Those families deserve answers and apologies, and we should be pushing for transparency in investigations too 
.
. I mean, these cases are horrific and it's clear that some hospitals are just not getting it right when it comes to caring for newborns. It's like they expect the families of those little ones to just... forgive & forget? No way! They deserve answers, accountability & closure! 
. We can't just rely on numbers and stats to measure success; we need to put people first 
.
. I'm hoping these new initiatives will lead to tangible changes and a reduction in baby deaths 
.
. We need to ensure that investigations into baby deaths are thorough and unbiased, involving multidisciplinary teams with a focus on learning from mistakes rather than just blame-shifting 
.
. It's not just about numbers and stats – it's about making sure our babies are safe and loved in those maternity units 
that these things happen because of mistakes by the staff. like, how can they not recognize when a baby is sick? 
. my heart goes out to all those families going through this 
the scottish gov has announced plans to boost funding by £10m, but we need more than just money to fix this problem 
also, have you seen the 6-hour delay for mason scott mclean? that's just unacceptable 
Like, the lack of records and missed tests are just excuses. Families deserve answers and an apology. We can't keep sweeping this under the rug. Scotland needs to step up its game and make sure these cases are investigated properly. It's not good enough just saying "we're sorry" when it comes to baby deaths... we need real change 
we've seen some horrific cases of baby deaths due to neglect or poor care, like that 3-day-old Mason Scott McLean who died after being in the hospital for 6 hours 