FOI 25-309 ScotSTAR Maternity Transfers
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-309 ScotSTAR Maternity Transfers
- Request Date
- 21 Jul 2025
- Response Date
- 08 Aug 2025
- Information Requested
Please can you provide full details of the maternity transfers undertaken by ScotSTAR in each of the last three full financial years. Specifically, I’d like the information provided in the same detail and format as table 10 in section 3.3 ‘Transfers’ of this report: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/research-and-analysis/2024/05/demand-capacity-modelling-nicu-services-final-report/documents/demand-capacity-modelling-nicu-services-final-report/demand-capacity-modelling-nicu-services-final-report/govscot%3Adocument/demand-capacity-modelling-nicu-services-final-report.pdf So table 10 with numbers for each unit, broken down by the same headings and type, but for each financial year.
- Response
The data detailed in the link provided was carried out by an external consultancy on behalf of the Scottish Government and would not be able to be replicated in this format by the Scottish Ambulance Service. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 to this section of your request, as information not held.
Please see the attached sheet detailing the ScotSTAR Neonatal transfers data that is held within our systems. This information has been provided over two tabs:
• First tab is ex-utero data with three tables, one for each financial year 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25
• Second tab is in-utero with three tables, one for each financial year 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25For the given data, you will see that some of the figures are shown as, five or less than five, please note that this figure has been suppressed because the statistical value is less than five. The Scottish Ambulance service has a duty, under the Data Protection Act to avoid directly or indirectly revealing any personal details. It is therefore widely understood that provision of statistics on small numbers, five or less are statistically suppressed upon disclosure.
Useful Information for Interpreting this Data
Table headers definitions:
Uplift – Transfer for care that the referring centre does not normally offer (e.g Surgical Procedures, Specialist diagnostics, transfers to theatre etc). This data is inclusive of elective transfers.Resources and Capacity – Transfer due to lack of resources at the referring unit, such as cot space, staffing, equipment etc.
Repatriation – Transfers to a unit closer to home after the infant no longer requires specialist care (e.g. baby returning from a surgical centre to their local NICU or LNU)Outpatients – Transfer to an outpatient appointment
It is possible that the same patient may be included in both Outpatients and Repatriation columns as part of their outward and return journey.
Other – Any transfer that does not fit into the above categories.
- Response Documents
