NHS Highland must take urgent action to tackle series of challenges
NHS Highland must make urgent changes to deal with its “complex” problems, including a failure to make multi-million pound savings, staff shortages and bullying.
Jeane Freeman
Sturgeon challenged over missed deadlines on Dr Gray’s maternity services
Nicola Sturgeon declined to explain why deadlines for the restoration of Dr Gray's Hospital maternity services were being missed when tackled on the issue yesterday.
Alarm over potential health and social care funding shortfall of almost £2 billion
Scotland faces a health and social care funding shortfall of almost £2 billion over the next few years unless services are reformed, the public spending watchdog has warned.
Jeane Freeman says redress for workers bullied out of NHS Highland will be considered on case-by-case basis
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman last night said NHS Highland would consider “restitution” for those bullied out of their jobs on a "case-by-case"basis.
Plea for Holyrood debate into bullying at NHS Highland
The Scottish Government's Health Secretary has been urged to hold a Holyrood debate on bullying in NHS Highland.
Thousands of north and north-east patients missing waiting targets for diagnostic tests
Thousands of patients in the north and north east are waiting longer than the six week target for eight key diagnostic tests which can pick up cancer and other diseases, it has emerged.
NHS Highland reviewing records of patients treated by bogus psychiatrist
NHS Highland has been reviewing clinical records of patients who were treated by bogus psychiatrist Zholia Alemi when she worked at an Inverness hospital 16 years ago.
Row over use of private hospitals to ‘prop up’ NHS
Almost 70,000 NHS-funded operations have been carried out in private hospitals since 2007, it has emerged.
New £1.1million centre is opened to help trauma and critically ill patients in Aberdeen
A million-pound centre for treating critically-ill casualties before they reach hospital has been opened in Aberdeen.
Slight fall in Scottish prescribing costs to £1.343 billion
The cost of NHS prescription treatments in Scotland came to £1.343 billion in the most recent financial year, new figures have shown.
More than 200 assaults on north ambulance staff in last six years
More than 200 assaults were committed against ambulance staff across Grampian and the Highlands and Islands over the last six years.
Jeane Freeman promises ‘comprehensive’ response to concerns about twins born 50 miles apart
Health Secretary Jeane Freeeman has pledged a “comprehensive response” to concerns about the birth of twin babies 50 miles apart in Golspie and Inverness.
BMA’s concern over unfilled GP training places
Doctors’ leaders yesterday expressed concern about unfilled GP training posts following the publication of official medical recruitment figures.
Booze sales fall after introduction of minimum pricing policy
Scottish alcohol sales have fallen to their lowest level for almost a quarter of a century since the introduction of minimum pricing.
Tory MSP warns action needed to prevent GP practice closures
More GP surgeries in the north-east could be at risk of closure unless the Scottish government trains more people to become family doctors.
Health Secretary to visit NHS Highland to see what progress has been made on bullying
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman will visit NHS Highland next week to see what progress has been made to tackle its bullying problem.
Scheme to get rural firefighters to administer CPR still not rolled out
A pioneering scheme to get rural firefighters to resuscitate heart-attack victims has still not been rolled out - four years after a trial showed it saved lives.
North and north-east suffering from hundreds of unfilled medical posts
Doctors yesterday warned the NHS is “stretched to its very limit” after a dramatic rise in nursing vacancies in NHS Grampian and NHS Highland.
Campaigners welcome blueprint for Moray hospital but fears remain about recruitment drive
Health campaigners in Moray have welcomed the publication of a blueprint to restore maternity services in the region to full strength - but still believe recruitment needs to be more “proactive”.
Long-term vision for Moray hospital published but NHS warns it could take another 11 months to recruit staff
Long-term plans to restore maternity services in Moray to full capacity have been published by NHS Grampian – but warnings have been made it could take another 11 months until staff are recruited with no guarantee posts will be filled.
Health secretary apologises to NHS Highland employees after bullying report revealed
Jeane Freeman yesterday said she would apologise to NHS Highland staff who were intimated and bullied as MSPs expressed alarm over the health board’s “toxic” working culture.
Patients need reassurance over rural GPs, says MSP
Highlands and Islands MSP Donald Cameron has claimed the Scottish Government is failing to reassure rural patients that the GP shortage is being tackled.
GP task force recognises fears of rural GPs
The head of a Scottish Government task force has acknowledged doctors’ fears that the new GP contract is damaging to rural areas, the health secretary has said.
Retired doctors urged to relieve rural NHS recruitment crisis
Retired doctors are to return to work in an attempt to relieve the rural hospital recruitment crisis.
Chairman and medical director step down from NHS Highland board
The chairman of troubled NHS Highland resigned yesterday - and was swiftly followed out the door by the board's medical director.
NHS Grampian suffers following £239m shortfall over last decade
MSPs were told yesterday that funding for NHS Grampian has been £239million short of its official target over the last decade.
Disappointment as NHS Highland delay annual review over ‘change of leadership’
Politicians have criticised beleaguered north health bosses’ "disappointing" decision to postpone NHS Highland's annual review.
Moray MP tells health minister she cannot repair region’s health service from a distance
Scotland's health secretary has been told she must make time to visit Moray and guide efforts to repair the region's health service.
Flower campaign encourages north women to attend cervical cancer smear tests
Cervical cancer claims many lives among young women across the north of Scotland every year.
Health Secretary’s pledge for better TV deal for hospital patients
The health secretary has pledged to work with NHS Highland to secure a better deal for patients splashing out “extortionate fees” to watch television at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
New band of midwifery students delivered to UHI
The University of the Highlands and Islands has announced the intake of its latest cohort of midwifery students on a revamped course in a bid to meet the needs of communities across the north of Scotland.
Bed blocking has cost NHS more than £500 million since 2014/15
Bed blocking has cost the NHS more than £500 million since Nicola Sturgeon became First Minister, according to Scottish Labour research.