Caithness Maternity Uturn Or Kicking The Political Football Down The Road

7th November 2025

Caithness Health Action Team and MSPs highlighted that since the consultant-led maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital was downgraded, women in Caithness face a long journey (~100 miles) down the A9 to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to give birth.

On 5 November 2025, the Scottish Government agreed to support a motion (from the Liberal Democrats) calling for an independent review of maternity services in Caithness.

The local Liberal Democrat leader described this as a "massive U-turn" (or "SNP caves-in") by the Scottish Government in backing the review.

The term "U-turn" is used by campaigners / media to indicate that the Government changed its stance and agreed to something (an independent review) that it had previously resisted.
Highland Liberal Democrats

It appears that until now, the Scottish Government had not formally backed such a specific independent review for Caithness maternity services.

Although the motion for a review has now been backed, the review itself still needs to be commissioned, a timetable set, and the exact terms agreed. Campaigners emphasised that the "next step" is ensuring this happens.

The word "U-turn" is a political framing — from media / opposition. It's not necessarily the Government admitting a long-term position was wrong, but it is acknowledging the review.

The issue of safety, model of service, and the impact on women in Caithness remains subject to further investigation and debate.

The Scottish Government has reversed its previous position in part by agreeing to support an independent review into maternity services in Caithness, which campaigners see as a "massive U-turn". However, it's not that everything has changed yet as the review still needs to be carried out and outcomes delivered.

What the Government's previous position was

In a letter dated 8 September 2025 from Jenni Minto (then Scottish Government Health Minister) to NHS Highland, it was stated that "there are no plans for an independent review of maternity services in Caithness."

At that time, instead of commissioning an independent review, the Government asked NHS Highland to "look into" specific claims (for example, whether the A9 route north of Inverness is safe for expectant mothers) rather than undertake a full independent review.

The Government's position in the parliamentary debate (5 Nov 2025) indicated that they already had ongoing inspections of maternity services (via Healthcare Improvement Scotland) and a new "Maternity & Neonatal Taskforce", rather than a discrete independent review for Caithness only.

Until September 2025 the Government said explicitly no independent review was planned for Caithness.

On 5 November 2025, the Scottish Government agreed to support a motion (from the Scottish Liberal Democrats) in the Scottish Parliament calling for an independent review of maternity services in Caithness.

In the debate, the Cabinet Secretary (Neil Gray) said that the Taskforce will review rural maternity services (including Caithness) and that the Government will support the amendment "to commission an independent review of maternity services in Caithness."

ecause the Government explicitly rejected the idea of an independent review as recently as September, and then just weeks later decided to support one, it meets the criteria of a significant reversal of position.

The "U-turn" terminology is used by campaigners and media to describe precisely this: going from no plans for a review to yes, we'll do a review.

That said, some caution: while a commitment has been made, the exact scope, timetable, and terms of the review are not clearly detailed yet — so while it is a substantive shift, the implementation remains to be seen.

Why the Government initially rejected / delayed a review
According to campaigners and local media:

A report in September 2025 noted that NHS Highland had not carried out any service reviews since 2016. The Scottish Government said it did not have all the information about clinical assessments of the maternity service in Caithness.

The Government's stance in the parliamentary debate was that rather than commissioning an independent review immediately, it would rely on ongoing inspections of all maternity units across Scotland — done by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) — plus the work of a national taskforce.

In short the Government's official reason was that there was already ongoing scrutiny, and that an independent review just for Caithness was not warranted at that time because the inspections and system-wide approach should deliver necessary improvements.

From campaigners' perspective

They argue that the downgrade of consultant-led maternity services at Caithness General Hospital (to a midwife-led or smaller unit) in 2016 had significant implications (such as women facing a ~100 mile trip down the A9 to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness) which had not been properly assessed.

They say the Government / NHS Highland lacked clarity on the safety of the service model in Caithness — for example: in September 2025, the John O'Groat Journal reported that neither the Government nor NHS Highland could verify whether the downgrade remained safe.
JohnOGroat Journal

So, although the Government did provide reasons (ongoing inspections, system-wide remediation rather than a localized review), campaigners say the specific local risks and lived-experience of Caithness women weren't being addressed sufficiently.

What campaigners say the independent review should cover

Campaigners (such as the Caithness Health Action Team) and local politicians have outlined a number of issues they believe the review should include:

Assess safety of the current model in Caithness (midwife-led unit and extra travel) including in bad weather or night journeys.

Examine the impacts of long journeys on pregnant women and babies (stress, risk, timely access to care).

Analyse whether a consultant-led unit could be reinstated, or what the optimal model for remote/rural areas should be taking into account workforce, infrastructure, geography.

Ensure community input, especially from women who have used the service, and front-line staff (midwives, obstetricians) in Caithness. For example: a campaigner said "we need a clear timetable ... and assurances that the community are fully involved."

Set a timetable and clear scope for the review — e.g., when it will start, how long it will run, what deliverables there will be. As one article put it: "Now that the Scottish Government has finally given this commitment everyone will be watching like hawks to ensure that the Government does not try to wriggle off the hook."

The key will now be how the review is done: whether its scope is wide enough, whether its findings will lead to change, and whether it engages locals. If the review ends up being too narrow or localised without power to change the service model, campaigners may view this as only a partial concession.

At this rate it looks to be building up as major Caithness issue in next years election Uturn or o Uturn.

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