Dec 2010 – I contacted MSP Brian Adam after I was told by the Glasgow milk bank that they could not collect donations from out with their local area. He raised this matter in Parliament in Jan 2011 with the Public Health Minister MSP Shona Robison who stated that there were no plans to increase the number of donor milk banks in Scotland.
July 2011 – I contacted MSP Mark McDonald to ask why, when the Toolkit for High Quality Neonatal Services (England and Wales) and the Bliss Baby Charter Standards state that donor breast milk should be available for babies in clinical need, that this same objective is not pursued by the NHS in Scotland. I also asked whether increasing the capacity of the Glasgow milk bank would be more efficient than setting up separate banks around the country. MSP Nicola Sturgeon (Cabinet Secretary for Health) stated again that there were no current plans to increase the number of donor milk banks in Scotland but that the Glasgow milk bank will make milk available to other neonatal units but “this will be dependent on the supply at the time”. NHS Grampian raised the issues of cost and transportation when asked about the feasibility of establishing links with Glasgow.
Oct 2011 – I requested a meeting with MSP Nicola Sturgeon to discuss the issue further. This was felt to be inappropriate at this time due to the establishment of a pilot scheme at Yorkhill which would see Scottish Emergency Rider Volunteer Service (ScotsERVS) collect and transport milk around the GGC area and further afield as requested.
Jan 2012 – Meeting with NHS Grampian, MSP Mark McDonald, Scots ERVS and myself where the issues of lack of access to donor milk on the basis of clinical need in the NHSG area were discussed. NHSG felt establishing its own milk bank was too big a commitment at the time.