Exclusive:Scotland's Maternity Crisis: Surge in complaints about maternity care

Out of the 14 regional health boards across the country, 12 have seen an increase in complaints over the period. There were 566 complaints made in 2023/24, followed by at least 594 the following financial year, before the figure jumped sharply to at least 804 in 2025/26.

Areas of concern which attracted some of the highest numbers of complaints include clinical treatment and staff attitudes and behaviours, with grievances also raised around issues such as privacy and confidentiality and communication.

The total number of complaints over the three year period is likely to be slightly higher, given that some health boards refused to disclose exact figures amid concerns that individuals would be identified.

The number of complaints that were fully upheld was subject to an even steeper increase. There were 150 such incidents in 2023/24, 154 in 2024/25, and 235 in 2025/26, equating to a near 57 per cent upturn. The number of complaints partially upheld went up 45 per cent from 174 in 2023/24 to 252 in 2025/26.

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Scotland's patient safety commissioner, Karen Titchener, said she expected the kind of data obtained by The Scotsman via freedom of legislation would be “central” to the independent review of Scotland’s maternity and neonatal services, adding that the figures raised questions over where lessons stemming from the complaints were being “embedded consistently” across the NHS.

The data shows that Scotland’s biggest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, received the largest number of complaints. It dealt with 134 such incidents in 2023/24, rising to 162 the following year, and 230 in 2025/26. Of those 526 complaints, nearly a quarter (123) were fully upheld, with 32 per cent (173) partially upheld.

The board did not provide a full breakdown of the nature of the complaints, but said they broadly related to maternity and neonatal treatment and care, communication with patients and families, medication management, clinical decision-making, delays in referral or treatment, diagnostic processes, and staff conduct and interactions.

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In June, Healthcare Improvement Scotland published the outcome of an unannounced inspection to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which identified concerns relating to poor general cleanliness of ward areas, poor compliance with some infection prevention control processes, fire safety regulations, medicines management and emergency equipment checks. Inspectors also found some expectant mothers experienced delays of almost eight days to induce labour, putting them and their babies at increased risk.

NHS Lothian dealt with 348 complaints, with 37 per cent (130) fully upheld and 38 per cent (133) partially upheld. Some 96 of the complaints it received related to treatment, while 80 dealt with staff attitudes and behaviour. A further 72 complaints were concerned with poor communication, with others centring on issues such as delays in diagnosis and treatment, and breach of patient confidentiality.

Last year, HIS inspectors who assessed maternity services at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh escalated “serious concerns” within the health board to senior staff and the Scottish government. During the inspection, they observed delays to the induction of labour process of up to 29 hours and other delays to women who required ongoing care within the labour ward due to lack of staff availability, capacity, and the complexities of patient conditions.

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NHS Lanarkshire dealt with 231 complaints, with 77 upheld and 93 partially upheld. Some 85 related to treatment and diagnosis, while 76 were concerned with staff or staff behaviour. There were 226 complaints at NHS Forth Valley. 71 were about treatment; 58 for waiting times; 37 for staff attitude and behaviour; 37 for communication, and four for environmental issues.

NHS Tayside, meanwhile, received at least 212 complaints, although it was unable to provide a breakdown of the issues they addressed. Some 66 complaints were upheld, with 106 partially upheld. Some 149 complaints were received by NHS Grampian, 77 of which related to care and treatment, with 37 complaints made regarding communication, 27 made about staff attitudes and behaviour, and 27 for “patient experience.”

A total of 91 complaints were received by NHS Highland spanning issues including treatment or investigations being carried out “poorly.” There were 73 complaints received by NHS Ayrshire and Arran. Elsewhere, NHS Fife received 53 complaints, followed by health boards in the Borders (27) and Dumfries and Galloway (18).

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Ms Titchener said: “A sustained rise in formal complaints and particularly in the proportion being upheld is a signal that deserves to be treated systemically, not board by board. It tells us families are coming forward and being listened to, which matters, but it also raises the question of whether there is robust, independent assurance that the lessons from these complaints are being embedded consistently across NHS Scotland.

“I would expect data of this kind to be central to what the current Scottish independent review of maternity and neonatal services will be examining, and I look forward to seeing how its findings address that assurance gap.”

Health secretary Angela Constance said she was “crystal clear” that patient safety “must always come first,” and pointed to the announcement of an independent review of maternity services as one of her first acts as health secretary.

“The review will join the series of inspections we already have underway to identify the systemic changes needed to strengthen services and achieve better outcomes for women, babies and families,” she said.

“Whilst the majority of women and babies in Scotland experience a safe birth with positive outcomes, when things go wrong I expect boards to investigate fully, be open and honest with families about what happened, and to make sure lessons are learned to improve care. In rare cases of clinical negligence, health boards and care professionals must learn from these situations and make improvements.”