Little warriors' mums take fight against downgrade of Lanarkshire neonatal unit to Scottish Parliament

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Mums campaigning to retain the neonatal intensive care unit at University Hospital Wishaw took their fight to the Scottish Parliament.Lynne McRitchie, Monica Sheen, Angela Tierney, and Tammy Johnstone-Little organised a rally there on Thursday where they met with Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health, and voiced their concerns over plans to downgrade the unit.

The Scottish Government plans to downgrade the unit’s status after accepting 76 recommendations made in the “Best Start” report from 2017.

The mums have gained the support of over 17,000 people through an online petition, and set up the Facebook group; Wishaw Neonatal Warriors, which has over 800 members – many of them mums whose babies were cared for at the NICU.

The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android On Friday, November 17 – to coincide with World Prematurity Day – they will also be holding a “Stand Together” static demo outside the hospital.Both Monica and Lynne’s babies featured on the BBC television programme Tiny Lives, which was filmed at the unit.Monica, who lives in Overtown, is mum to two-year-old Alfie.She said: “Alfie was born at 27 weeks, so he was three months premature and weighed 1lb 6oz [624g].