TWO overseas midwives have arrived in Scotland and are set to join the team at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

The pair, from Finland and the USA respectively, have been recruited as part of a Scottish Government initiative to increase international recruitment and support the delivery of health services across Scotland.

Each midwife has been assigned a buddy from NHS Forth Valley who will support them as they adapt to their new lives in Scotland.

Lisa Fairweather, international recruitment lead at NHS Forth Valley, welcomed the two midwives and said: “We are delighted to welcome the first midwives to join us as part of the international recruitment scheme.

“Our new colleagues are a welcome addition to our midwifery teams and recruiting staff from overseas also provides a great opportunity to learn from each other.”

Aino Lindstrom hails from Finland, qualifying as a nurse and midwife in May 2021. She worked on a hospital in Pori on the West Coast of Finland before making the move to Forth Valley.

She said she was keen to make the move to Scotland to broaden her midwifery and for a change of scenery.

She explained: “I am most excited to broaden my experience here as, in Finland, midwives do not usually work in the community, and I haven’t had a chance to work in a triage assessment clinic before.

“Having the opportunity to strengthen my skills by rotating across all fields of midwifery is very appealing to me and I am really looking forward to working in Forth Valley.”

Sarah Paeth grew up in a small town in Oregon on the west coast of the USA, working as a midwife for seven years.

She has worked all across the world through assignments with Médicins San Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.

Sarah first visited Scotland in 2015 and fell in love with the country, particularly due to her fondness for walking and running.

She said: “I love caring for women and families from all different cultures and backgrounds, and I am especially passionate about providing quality midwifery care to people living in more rural or remote setting.

“There are so many beautiful areas on my bucket list that I want to explore here. I’m really excited to join the midwifery team here and serve the Forth Valley community.

“Everyone has been so welcoming, so I really just can’t wait to jump in. I look forward to learning from and teaching each other on this cross-cultural midwifery experience.

“Oh, and of course, I can’t wait to eat a few scones.”

The pair join 34 nurses and three physiotherapists recruited through the international scheme, with plans to welcome 18 more over the next six months.