Ambitious plans to invest £30million to redesign healthcare in Caithness are to go out to formal consultation.
After years of controversy over the running of health in the far north, NHS Highland has come up with a raft of proposals, including a multi-million pound upgrade of Caithness General.
The preferred option proposes a care hub and villages at both the Dunbar Hospital site in Thurso and in East Caithness at Pulteney House Care Home.
NHS Highland believe the main benefits of the preferred option is that it would consolidate day services, community beds (non acute) on two 24/7 sites instead of four, and provide services in modern fit-for-purpose facilities.
The new arrangements aim to allow more people to be looked after in their own community with less reliance on three statutory services.
NHS Highland’s board met yesterday and agreed to move to a period of three months of formal consultation.
Board member and local councillor Deirdre Mackay said: “The case for change is not always clearly recognised and NHS Highland was right to hold up its hands and say sorry.
“The feedback we had was the importance of creating a positive vision and I think we have managed that.
“Clinicians were able to answer questions from the local community. We had an incredibly skilled independent facilitator and we also gave the community representatives time to think about the issues and the opportunities.
“NHS Highland and the community have come together at the same time and we are now seeing strong collaboration which I am confident can only help to secure investment.”
The board acknowledged it had been right for NHS Highland to publicly apologise to the community and by taking a step back showed a willingness to listen and respond to community concerns.
Caithness MSP Gail Ross said: “I’m delighted that the board of NHS Highland are receptive to the public’s view that meaningful consultation on the future of health care provision must take place before formal decisions are made.
“Over the past few months a tremendous amount of work has gone on to draw up models of care and provision plans which would be acceptable not only to the community but also for NHS Highland.
“This work has been a difficult process at times, however, we now are in a situation where health campaigners and clinicians alike are comfortable with the options which are on the table.”
NHS Highland is working towards a consultation period from August 19.