Minister to hear shake-up concerns

Health campaigners in the far north have secured a summit with Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison – warning they will pursue their fight to the next Holyrood election.

The meeting was called by campaigners fiercely opposed to a recent shake-up at Caithness General Hospital in Wick that left a consultant-led obstetric service becoming a midwife-led maternity unit.

A fortnight ago, the SNP’s Paul Monaghan lost his UK Government seat in Caithness to the Liberal Democrats in what many regarded as a backlash.

Last month, Nicola Sinclair, of the pressure group Caithness Health Action Team (Chat), was elected an independent Highland councillor.

“Growing concern about the future of services”

Its chairman, Bill Fernie, said: “We’ll highlight the key issues – maternity and hospital transfers. There are other issues such as growing concern about the future of services at the Dunbar Hospital in Thurso.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “It’s imperative that we continue to deliver safe, high-quality services for pregnant women in remote and rural locations – and that the right infrastructure and protocols are in place to ensure all women get the best care possible.”

NHS Highland north area manager Michelle Johnstone said: “I hope when Chat meet with the Cabinet secretary they’ll also be able to highlight our more successful approach to recruit rural practitioners in Caithness General, the rotation of surgeons and physicians from Raigmore into Caithness General and the return of junior doctors.”