Hospital in neonatal care trial

A NEW way of delivering neonatal care i s being tested at four Scottish hospitals, including one in Fife, with the aim of improving maternity services for mothers and babies.

The Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy will focus on continuity of care and making sure newborns with specialist requirements get the best care.

Expectant mothers will receive help from a primary midwife alongside a small t eam f or t heir “whole maternity j ourn e y ”, the Scottish Government said, while support will be on-hand to help parents with babies in neonatal units.

The new package of measures, backed with £12 million of government cash, is being tested at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.

Babies needing t he most specialist care will be treated at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow before returning to their local neonatal unit.

The model will also be trialled between Victoria Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary later this year.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “These steps will ensure mums, babies and other family members are all supported from pregnancy to birth and after.

“To achieve this, we are looking at community maternity services right through to the care for the most premature babies, where we know outcomes are improved where support services, such as surgery, are nearby.”

There are about 55,000 babies born each year in Scotland, according to government figures, with about 6,500 admitted to neonatal care. UNION members in Dundee have given the city council a bittersweet Valentine’s Day card – asking the local authority not to “break their hearts”.

Members of Unite the Union, the GMB and the Scottish Unemployed Workers’ Network gathered outside the City Chambers on City Square to protest against plans to cut £8 million from next year’s budget.

Protesters handed councillors cards which read: “Be my Valentine, make my day, fight the cuts in every way.” THE future of a city centre pub is u ncerta i n a fter its parent company was h it with a winding-up order.

A petition has been presented to Dundee Sheriff Court on behalf of HMRC ordering a liquidator be appointed to Nicolls Bar & Restaurant Ltd, owner of Nicolls on Commercial Street.

The bar was previously owned by Dundee businessman Jimmy Marr before it was taken over by John Pearson in June last year.

According to Companies House, Mr Pearson is also listed as sole director of Club Bar (Dundee) Ltd, which runs the Club Bar in Union Street.

He is also a former director of Mr Marr’s now dissolved Caird Pubs business.

All attempts by the Tele to speak to Mr Pearson were refused.

As of yesterday, the bar remained open as usual.

David Glass, president of the Dundee Licensed Trade Association, said: “It just shows you that even when pubs