DAMNING REPORT ON MATERNITY WARD CRISIS

HEALTH Secretary Neil Gray has told how he nearly lost his pregnant wife after "inaccurate assessments" were carried out.

- BY KATRINE BUSSEY

He revealed his personal ordeal to MSPs as he announced measures to improve care for mothers to be.

The Health Secretary said a Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce is to be set up, which will listen to "women's experiences of maternity services" and also "the voice of frontline midwives".

After a damning report into maternity services at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was published yesterday, he said NHS Lothian will be subject to increased intervention from the Scottish Government.

By moving the health board to level three on the NHS support and intervention framework, Gray said "significantly enhanced support" will now be provided.

The dad of four told MSPs: "I haven't spoken about this before but my family knows personally what it is like to suffer pregnancy loss.

"Indeed, during that experience I also very nearly lost my wife due to inaccurate assessments of ectopic pregnancy symptoms, and that stays with me every day."