Highlands and Islands MSP Tim Eagle is urging the Scottish Government to extend the Family Nurse Partnership scheme to communities across the Highlands and Islands as soon as possible.
The Scottish Conservative MSP said: “This scheme is designed to help young first-time parents by providing support from experienced family nurses and midwives.
“As anyone who has ever been a young parent themselves – as I and my wife were some years ago! – it is very easy to understand how welcome this kind of support is.
“Unfortunately, most of the Highlands and Islands is currently excluded from it, which is a great shame.
“I would really like to see it extended to young parents in island and remote communities many of whom, inevitably, won’t have family or friends close by to help or give advice.
“Being a parent for the first time should be a wonderful s experience, but it can also be a time of worry when you suddenly find yourself responsible for a tiny new baby.
“I will be pressing ministers to do what they can to roll the service out to the communities I represent, and I very much hope to be a bearer of good news before too long.”