Yahoo News Poverty crisis hits home as Renfrewshire mums-to-be go hungry
Desperate mothers-to-be are going without food and missing antenatal appointments due to transport costs, new data from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has revealed.
The health board says it has handed out 126 emergency grants and countless food parcels to new and expecting mothers attending the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
The Maternity Emergency Grant is a £50 immediate cash grant for pregnant women or their carers experiencing emergency needs related to hospital appointments.
READ MORE: Paolo Nutini donates over £100k to home town charity
The grants have been offered as part of a wider cost-of-living initiative that seeks to ensure no one in Renfrewshire returns to a cold, damp home or faces hunger after a hospital stay.
The Express revealed in April last year how the NHSGGC’s new Energy Crisis Response Service was targeting vulnerable patients in all of its hospitals.
The initiative – which has since expanded to include grants and financial advice clinics – sees ward staff identify patients who need help with home energy costs and food so that they can return home safely without the worry of living in a cold, damp home and the health complications that come with that.
To date, the teams have delivered over 3,700 hospital-based money advice referrals, more than 2,000 emergency food packages upon discharge, over 600 maternity emergency grants, and more than 400 home energy crisis responses for patients leaving NHSGGC hospitals.
The support and information service has, Paisley health chiefs say, been pivotal in addressing health inequalities in Renfrewshire and problems which exacerbate child poverty, emotional well-being, and social isolation.
It has also been extended to include NHS staff who themselves are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Gillian Harvey, NHSGGC health improvement lead, highlighted the value of the service for patient care: “The cost-of-living mitigation response has been greatly appreciated by staff, patients, and carers.
“Our busy clinicians are assured that important public health issues are being addressed, allowing them to focus on their clinical work and, supporting NHSGGC staff with their own health, enables them to support our patients effectively, making this initiative a vital part of our hospital discharge planning process.
“This work wouldn’t be possible without the help of our partners, and we are incredibly grateful for their support. We have offices across our acute sites and invite any patient, carer, or staff member who feels like they’re struggling to visit us.”
Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
