WOMEN in Scotland should be able to see the same midwife throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the early stages of their child’s life, according to a new report on Scottish maternity and neonatal services.

The review, commissioned by the government and led by NHS Forth Valley Chief Executive Jane Grant, put forward 76 recommendations, with a warning that failing to redesign would “mean that services will no longer be fit for the future”.

Any new model of care should have at its heart “the current and future needs of women, babies and families, and person-centred, relationship-based care,” the report said.

The group also recommended making sure fathers, partners and other family members are “actively encouraged and supported to become an integral part of all aspects of care.”

For the families of babies born premature or who require specialist care and need lengthy stays in neonatal units, there should be help with the cost of travel, accommodation and food.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “The NHS already provides an exceptional maternal and neonatal service to thousands of women and babies across Scotland every year. This review has provided an excellent opportunity to identify best practice and also outlines where we can make improvements to create world class maternity and neonatal care.”

Robison said the government would move quickly on the “continuity of midwifery care” recommendations around transport and accommodation for parents of babies in neonatal care.

Bliss Scotland, the premature baby charity, welcomed the ambitious plans but said they needed to be backed by new money.

Caroline Lee-Davey, the charity’s Chief Executive said: “While we welcome the review’s ambitious vision for family-centred care, the Government must explain how it plans to address the practical barriers that keep parents from their babies.

“The review shows a progressive vision for Scottish neonatal services, and it is particularly welcome that it recognises the importance of mothers and babies being kept together.

“However, services are already overstretched, and we are calling on the Scottish Government to demonstrate its commitment by introducing minimum standards on the level of free accommodation and other practical support for families that should be available.”