Caithness council petition lodged at Scottish Parliament
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A PETITION calling for a Caithness council and health board has been lodged at the Scottish Parliament.
The document, which attracted over 700 signatures, was read out at the Petitions Committee at Holyrood on Wednesday. But as there were two other similar petitions from the far north, members decided to discuss them together at a later date.
The petition, submitted by Thurso community councillor Billy Sinclair, wants the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to reinstate Caithness County Council and Caithness NHS Board.
Mr Sinclair, who has received “positive feedback from the public”, is hoping for change. “Something has got to be done because what we have got at the moment is not working for people in Caithness,” he said.
“It is ridiculous that a council in Inverness can make decisions for towns 100 miles away. How would people in Edinburgh feel if decisions affecting them were made in Glasgow, 30 miles away.”
Mr Sinclair, who has raised his concerns with local MP and MSPs, added: “We are looking for improvements at a local level and need something to happen as the longer we sit and do nothing, nothing will change.”
He said services locally were much better before the inception of Highland Council and NHS Highland. “Under NHS Highland we have lost our consultant-led maternity services, are seeing more people than ever travelling the 115 miles to Inverness for appointments and treatment and had to protest at the decision to close down two palliative care units.
“We seem to have to fight Highland Council and NHS Highland for money to be spent just for the upkeep of what little we have, let alone any improvements.”
Mr Sinclair said money is spent on “vanity projects throughout Scotland” but there is none for basic infrastructure maintenance here.
