Dumfries & Galloway Health & Social Care

Wigtownshire maternity consultation

Consultation on maternity services in Wigtownshire concluded on 12 February 2024

The consultation on two options for the future of maternity services in Wigtownshire ran from 20th November 2023 until 12 February 2024.

A series of in-person events and an online survey set out the options to provide a birthing service for pre-planned, ‘low-risk’ births – which represent around 23% of all pregnancies in Wigtownshire.

Engagement earlier in 2023 gathered the thoughts of stakeholders, including service users and staff. The work took place under the direction of independent chairs, and the findings were used to develop several different options for birthing services.

After the options were scored, two shared first place. One was for the current arrangements, providing only for low-risk home births. The second option would allow pre-planned births within Galloway Community Hospital, but only for the same relatively small number of low-risk births and with the same level of support provided for home births.

This second option was narrowly preferred by the independent chairs when the scores by local professional NHS staff were excluded.

More information on the independent review

The full report of the independent review

Both options became the subject of this formal consultation. Its findings will be used to help develop a recommendation which will be brought to Dumfries and Galloway Integration Joint Board.

More information

Background information pack on maternity services in Wigtownshire

A two-page summary of the information pack

Animation explaining the consultation

Consultation is now concluded

The online survey

A downloadable version of the survey – you can print it out and return it to us by post

An Easy Read version of the survey

Or attend one of our in-person events:

Stranraer Library – 30th November 2023, 1230-1530

Lesser Parish Church Hall, Lochancroft Lane, Wigtown – 6th December 2023, 1000-1200

McMillan Hall, Newton Stewart – 6th December 2023, 1330-1530

Online meetings – 12th and 17th January 2024, all day (email to book your one-hour slot)

For more information, please contact:

Communications Team

DGRI

A75

Cargenbridge

DG2 8RX

Email: dgcommunications@nhs.scot