Professor John Robertson OBA

In the Guardian today, the above and:

The NHS has been directing pregnant women to a website that connected them to the Free Birth Society, an organisation that has been linked to baby deaths around the world after promoting labour without medical support. A number of NHS trusts are directing women who are contemplating a “free birth” to a charity website that until Monday referred to FBS podcasts as a source of “empowering stories” that can help British women “preparing for their own birth”.

I’ve searched manually the Guardian’s four recent reports on the Free Birth Society and find no mention of Scotland so it’s a legitimate use of AI to ask:

Is there any evidence that NHS Scotland directed pregnant women to controversial Free Birth Society via a charity?

No, there is no evidence that NHS Scotland directed pregnant women to the Free Birth Society (FBS) via a charity. A recent Guardian investigation (published November 25, 2025) revealed that several NHS trusts in England—such as Cambridge University Hospitals, Gloucestershire Hospitals, and East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust—linked to a factsheet from the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS), a UK maternity rights charity. This factsheet recommended FBS podcasts as “empowering stories” for women considering unassisted or “free” births, despite FBS’s links to baby deaths and dangerous misinformation. The main NHS England webpage on birth options also previously directed users to this factsheet until August 2025.

However, no sources mention NHS Scotland or any Scottish health boards in this context. Searches across web results, NHS Scotland sites, and X (formerly Twitter) yielded no connections. Scottish maternity resources, like those from NHS Lothian or NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, focus on supported home births or standard care without referencing FBS or unassisted birth advocacy groups.

The FBS, a US-based organization promoting births without medical professionals, has faced criticism for anti-medical claims, including rejecting ultrasounds and linking to stillbirths worldwide. If you’re concerned about maternity options in Scotland, resources like NHS Inform or Birthrights (a separate UK charity) provide evidence-based guidance on rights and choices.

Sources:

Sources for the Response on NHS Scotland and Free Birth SocietyBelow is a list of key sources used to determine that there is no evidence of NHS Scotland directing pregnant women to the Free Birth Society (FBS) via a charity. These include the primary Guardian investigation (focused on NHS England trusts), related follow-up articles, and official NHS Scotland maternity resources showing no such links. Searches on X (formerly Twitter) for “NHS Scotland Free Birth Society” returned no relevant results as of November 25, 2025.Primary Investigation (NHS England Context)

• The Guardian: “NHS directed pregnant women to controversial Free Birth Society via charity” (Published November 25, 2025)
  This article details how NHS England trusts (e.g., Cambridge University Hospitals, Gloucestershire Hospitals, East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust) linked to an AIMS factsheet recommending FBS podcasts. The national NHS England “Where to give birth: the options” page directed users to this until August 2025. No mention of Scotland or NHS Scotland.
  Link theguardian.com
• The Guardian: “Five key findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society” (Published November 23, 2025)
  Summarizes the year-long probe into FBS’s risks, including links to baby deaths and misinformation, but confirms the NHS connections are limited to English trusts.
  Link theguardian.com
• The Guardian: “Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world” (Published November 22, 2025)
  In-depth on FBS’s global impact and anti-medical claims, with no Scottish NHS references.
  Link theguardian.com
• The Guardian: “‘Ignorant and life-threatening’: experts condemn Free Birth Society misinformation” (Published November 23, 2025)
  Expert critiques of FBS content, tied to the English NHS factsheet issue.
  Link theguardian.com

NHS Scotland Maternity Resources (No FBS Links)These official pages outline supported home births and standard care, with no references to FBS, unassisted births, or related charities like AIMS.

• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: “Glasgow Home Birth Team” (Updated March 26, 2025)
  Describes supported home birth services, equipment delivery, and team support. Focuses on low-risk pregnancies with midwife involvement.
  Link nhsggc.scot
• NHS Lothian: “Homebirth – Maternity Services” (Accessed November 25, 2025)
  Guidance on home birth options for low-risk pregnancies, following NICE guidelines, with transfer protocols to hospitals if needed. No external advocacy group recommendations.
  Link services.nhslothian.scot
• NHS Lothian: “Maternity Services” (Accessed November 25, 2025)
  Overview of antenatal care, birth options, and postnatal support, linking to evidence-based resources like Ready Steady Baby.
  Link services.nhslothian.scot
• NHS Borders: “Home Birth – Right Decisions” (Accessed November 25, 2025)
  Emphasizes choices for low-risk births, including home options with midwife-led care and transfer guidelines. Aligns with Scottish national policy.
  Link rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk
• NHS Highland: “Home birth” (Accessed November 25, 2025)
  Safety data for home births in low-risk cases, based on the Birthplace study, with on-call midwife support starting at 39 weeks.
  Link nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk
• NHS Inform: “Your antenatal care | Ready Steady Baby!” (Updated August 14, 2025)
  National Scottish resource on pregnancy care, including rights and choices, with no promotion of unassisted or external society resources.
  Link nhsinform.scot
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: “Maternity Hospitals And Units” (Updated June 19, 2025)
  Details on home birth teams and community units, emphasizing multidisciplinary support.
  Link nhsggc.scot
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: “Maternity Services” (Updated March 25, 2025)
  Comprehensive overview of pregnancy, birth, and postnatal care across Scotland’s largest board.
  Link nhsggc.scot
• NHS Grampian: “Homebirth – Birth in Grampian” (Accessed November 25, 2025)
  Low-risk home birth support with midwife care and transfer to Aberdeen Maternity Hospital if needed. Cites reduced interventions per research.
  Link birthingrampian.scot.nhs.uk
• NHS Ayrshire & Arran: “Labour and giving birth” (Updated April 12, 2024)
  Home birth team referral process and safety for uncomplicated pregnancies.
  Link nhsaaa.net

Additional Notes

• Searches for direct connections (e.g., “NHS Scotland Free Birth Society connection”) primarily resurfaced the Guardian articles on England, with Scottish results limited to standard home birth info. theguardian.com
• For broader context on maternity rights, see Birthrights: “Right to NHS services” (Updated April 17, 2025), which covers UK-wide entitlements but notes regional differences (e.g., free care in Scotland). birthrights.org.uk
• An older Guardian article from 2020 mentions isolated freebirthing inquiries in Scotland during COVID but no NHS direction. theguardian.com

If you need excerpts, full articles, or searches on specific aspects, let me know!

Are there reports of anyone in Scotland being influenced by the Free Birth Society

No credible reports were found of individuals in Scotland being directly influenced by the Free Birth Society (FBS), the US-based organization promoting unassisted “free births” without medical professionals. Extensive searches across news sources, academic studies, and social media (including X) yielded no named cases, personal stories, or documented incidents linking Scottish women or families to FBS podcasts, courses, or community groups that led to freebirthing decisions. This absence is notable given the recent global scrutiny of FBS following a Guardian investigation identifying 48 linked cases of stillbirths, neonatal deaths, or serious harm—primarily in the US and Canada, with isolated mentions in other countries like the UK, but none specified in Scotland.

Source: https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1993264759806783631