In 2016, healthcare provision in Caithness General Hospital was downgraded on the basis of safety grounds.
Since then, campaigners have been fighting to have some health services reinstated.
Now, almost six years on, and after numerous attempts to instigate change, campaigners continue to call for action.
What exactly changed in Caithness General Hospital?
NHS Highland conducted a review into the health model for Caithness in 2015.
One year later, it was decided that the Caithness General Hospital’s maternity unit would be downgraded, axing 24-hour obstetrician cover.
The review, which was carried out following the death of a baby in the local maternity unit, found that it would be safer to operate a midwife-led service locally with complicated births sent to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
As the decision was made on safety grounds, NHS Highland said there was no need for public consultation.
Since then, campaigners have fought tooth and nail to have services reinstated as close to home as possible to avoid mammoth trips of more than 100 miles south down the notorious A9 in all conditions.
What have Caithness Health Action Team and others done?
Spearheaded by Caithness Health Action Team (Chat), numerous efforts have been made to highlight the plight in services.
Campaigners took to the streets of Wick in their droves to express their displeasure, with demonstrations also taking place outside of Holyrood in a bid to capture the attention of decision makers.
Past health secretaries have been invited to the county to hear the issues first-hand, with an offer even made recently to the current post holder, Humza Yousaf.
The invite was rejected.
Petitions have also been submitted to Holyrood as campaigners fear a death will occur before change is implemented.
What do Caithness health campaigners want?
Ron Gunn of Chat has conceded that he does feel as if they are perhaps running out of options.
He would like the people of Caithness to be heard.
The invitation to decision-makers remains open, with calls also being made for fairness.
Chat would like for its own independent review to be conducted in Caithness, similar to that which has recently concluded in Elgin at Dr Gray’s.
Campaigners also feel as if they hold the answers.
Calls have been made to replicate a maternity model deployed on Orkney, where the unit is led by midwives and backed up by consultants.
Key points raised:
- After five years of pushing for the return of full maternity services in Caithness, are far north mums any closer to making their voices heard?
- Moray is getting an independent review into maternity services, so why can’t we?
- The Orkney model: Here’s why Caithness maternity campaigners are asking NHS Highland to copy their northern neighbours
