A petition has been launched to save a specialist hydrotherapy pool that may be forced to close because NHS Highland is pulling the plug on the lion’s share of its funding.
The Nairn facility, which caters for 500 patients a week from the Highlands and Moray, is run by a trust which may have to cease operating on the eve of its 30th anniversary.
It has organised a public meeting at Nairn Arts and Community Centre at 7pm, on July 9, and hopes a health board representative will respond to users’ questions.
NHS Highland has instructed the Nairn Healthcare Group to stop referrals for patients from today.
The health board denies funding is being withdrawn, but “reinvested in exercise and pool access within the Nairn area, increasing the opportunities for a wider group of patients to access the benefits of such treatments”.
Users point out that the town’s public baths are not a realistic alternative because the water is colder and the environment would not be suitable.
Health chiefs had requested that the pool “broadened its activity, protecting it from a reliance on NHS funding”.
Joanna McGregor, a co-founder of the facility, was heartbroken.
She said: “This is a appalling news. I’m very disappointed. We had been looking forward to meeting the health board to discuss the future.”
Margaret MacDonald, who has used the facility following referral by her GP, said: “I was devastated to hear they’ve withdrawn their funding. We have a wonderful facility with a fully qualified and professional physiotherapist who is in the water with patients at all times.
“NHS Highland should be supporting it, not taking away the funding from those who need it most.”
Business adviser Clive Murray, of the Friends of the Trust, is collecting signatures for a petition to put pressure on the health board to reverse its decision.
NHS Highland says bookings already made will be honoured until October 31.
Area manager (south) Jean Pierre Sieczkarek said: “The decision to bring our contract to an end is based on the need to utilise the financial resources connected with the pool in a fairer way, allowing increased access for a larger group of patients to exercise and have water-based therapy.
“There is a small number of patient groups accessing the hydrotherapy pool, and upon reviewing this, we would like to encourage a wider access to therapies.
“We are in negotiation with High Life Highland to look at alternative wellbeing activity.”