Asked by: Baillie, Jackie (Scottish Labour - Dumbarton)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how long it anticipates the journey from University Hospital Wishaw to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital will take for ambulances moving premature babies.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Under the new model of care, mothers in suspected extreme pre-term labour will be transferred to give birth in hospitals that have neonatal intensive care units. Those maternity units will have expanded capacity to receive those women.
It is recognised that it will not always be possible to transfer mothers before they give birth. In those cases, as has been established practice for many years, our specialist neonatal transfer service (ScotSTAR) will transfer those babies by air or by road in specialist ambulances equipped to care for neonates, accompanied by neonatal staff.
The Scottish Perinatal network has developed and published guidance for all Boards across Scotland to support identification and transfer of mothers in suspected extreme preterm labour. Experiences of testing the new model of neonatal intensive care showed that the vast majority of mothers in suspected pre-term labour were identified and transferred before giving birth.
Women from NHS Lanarkshire would normally be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth University hospital in Glasgow. Should that unit be at capacity, it may it be necessary to transfer those women to Edinburgh, or to Aberdeen, and parents will be involved in those discussions.
Journey times from Wishaw to Aberdeen will vary depending on the time of day and urgency of the transfer.
Asked by: Baillie, Jackie (Scottish Labour - Dumbarton)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Ambulance Service staff transporting critically ill premature babies from NHS Lanarkshire to NHS Grampian will be expected to make the journey without a break.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
As has been established practice for many years, the staff and vehicle required to move critically ill patients is determined based on circumstances and clinical need. Our specialist neonatal transfer service (ScotSTAR) will transfer those babies by air or road in specialist ambulances equipped to care for neonates.
ScotSTAR will be introducing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which will have variations between emergency and scheduled/planned transfers. NHS Grampian will be on the outer limits for drivers but expectation would be that the journey will be done without a break.
Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has held discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the reported air strike on two Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances in Gaza on 5 December 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is aware of reports of attacks against healthcare facilities and infrastructure. Healthcare workers, emergency services personnel, civilian buildings including hospitals and medical facilities not used for military purposes must not be targeted. We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but Israel must ensure its campaign protects civilians in Gaza, complies with International Humanitarian Law and targets Hamas fighters and military objectives only. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary continue to press these in engagements with Israeli counterparts.
Mentions:
1: Alistair Carmichael (LD - Orkney and Shetland) It is also an invaluable support for air ambulance services in the northern isles. - Speech Link
2: Guy Opperman (Con - Hexham) Gentleman on an ongoing basis.I put on the record my thanks to my local air ambulances, and that I have - Speech Link
3: Guy Opperman (Con - Hexham) ambulances that operate locally.To return to the points raised, there is also the use of fixed-wing - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Wes Streeting (Lab - Ilford North) Patients were waiting dangerously long for ambulances and in A&E before the strikes. - Speech Link
2: Victoria Atkins (Con - Louth and Horncastle) Just to help him understand, we are delivering the 800 new ambulances—those are new ambulances—at pace - Speech Link
3: Daisy Cooper (LD - St Albans) When will the Government get serious about public health interventions such as vaccine uptake, air filtration - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Rishi Sunak (Con - Richmond (Yorks)) get more humanitarian aid into Gaza, which I think the whole House would support, by land, sea and air - Speech Link
2: Rishi Sunak (Con - Richmond (Yorks)) additional half a billion pounds of funding, which will be used to deliver much-needed ammunition, air - Speech Link
3: Gareth Thomas (LAB - Harrow West) In only one of the 194 local authority areas in England are NHS ambulances meeting the national response - Speech Link
4: Rishi Sunak (Con - Richmond (Yorks)) We have 800 more ambulances on the road, faster discharge out of our emergency care centres and 10,000 - Speech Link
5: Stephen Crabb (Con - Preseli Pembrokeshire) For six months, thousands of my constituents have lived with foul polluted air from the Withyhedge landfill - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lord Davies of Gower (Con - Life peer) Lords, when implemented well and with good community engagement, low-traffic neighbourhoods can improve air - Speech Link
2: Baroness Deech (XB - Life peer) resigning because they cannot get to school; shopkeepers, often of ethnic minority, are closing shops; ambulances - Speech Link
3: Baroness Randerson (LD - Life peer) the Government doing to ensure that local authorities undertake frequent and systematic monitoring of air - Speech Link
4: Baroness Manzoor (Con - Life peer) My concern is with air pollution levels, particularly when linked to health. - Speech Link
5: Baroness Fox of Buckley (Non-affiliated - Life peer) Will the Minister look at a new report, “Clean” Air, Dirty Money, Filthy Politics, which looks at the - Speech Link
Written Evidence Feb. 28 2024
Inquiry: Humanitarian situation in GazaFound: Israel, thousands of Hamas and other militants breached Israel’s sovereign territory by sea, land, and air
Mentions:
1: George Galloway (WPB - Rochdale) How many fewer ambulances would be called out if there were not hazards in houses that could be, and - Speech Link