RHODA GRANT: Political turmoil shows need for Scottish Government to focus on rural areas
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Holyrood Notebook by Rhoda Grant
Twenty-four hours is a long time in politics as demonstrated by the end of the Bute House Agreement last week.
Last Wednesday, Humza Yousaf was defending the agreement and pleading with Green Party members to allow it to continue. Then on the Thursday morning, the agreement was ditched and the SNP committed to continuing as a minority government.
Only time will tell what that means. However, I cannot help but celebrate the end of this agreement. Time and time again, I have had to stick up for rural areas such as Caithness because the Green/SNP government has been pushing bad legislation with no consideration of the impact or practicalities to rural areas – or anywhere north of Perth for that matter.
Whether it be the deposit return scheme and the impact on distilleries and small rural businesses, Highly Protected Marine Areas, the stalling of the dualling of the A9 and A96 or the recent chaos surrounding woodburning stoves.
I hope this comes as a lesson to the SNP government that you need to make policy for rural and island communities as well as for urban areas.
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They cannot reach net zero targets without rural Scotland. They cannot solve existing or future problems in our NHS, education or housing without considering the impacts, and the unique nature, of rural Scotland.
Caithness residents know acutely the challenges surrounding rural-proofing policies and how, without that, delivery of urban designed services is almost impossible locally or, worse, centralised to Inverness or beyond.
The proposal that the Highland vascular service is to be centralised to NHS Tayside is a recent example.
I have been told that the vascular service in NHS Highland is being reviewed. Recently it has relied on locum cover and we are told Raigmore Hospital does not meet the requirements of that service.
I am also told that a viable vascular service requires a minimum population of 800,000 people. Again service delivery designed around urban populations.
I appreciate the issues surrounding locum cover and the hospital – however, I do question the requirement to have 800,000 people to have a viable service. The Highlands and Islands typically has an older population. Older people typically require vascular services more than their younger counterparts.
If we are to start using population numbers as a gauge on the future of services, the Highlands and Islands will always – and disproportionately – lose.
We also have to consider travelling time, costs and availability. Older people may have other ailments which stop them from travelling, and what does that mean for accessing care? I have put these questions to the health board.
To end this column, I wish to reassure Caithness residents that I continue to campaign for the Scottish Government to restart the Caithness health redesign, paused in their spending review. This week I hope to have the opportunity to raise this in the Scottish parliament again.
• Rhoda Grant is a Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
