Caithness 'forgotten about' as Moray and Inverness maternity services get extra funding
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A healthcare campaigner is concerned that Caithness appears to have been "forgotten about" amid the news of extra funding for maternity services in Moray and Inverness.
The Scottish Government announced that up to £6.6 million will be made available for the return of a full maternity service at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin by 2026, while refurbishment of Raigmore Hospital's maternity unit will be supported through a separate £5 million package.
Ron Gunn, chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT), says the group will be asking Scotland's next First Minister to support an independent inquiry into maternity provision in the county.
The consultant-led maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital was downgraded in 2016 to a midwife-led facility and the vast majority of local women now give birth at Raigmore. Last month it emerged that only eight mothers gave birth in the community midwifery unit (CMU) at the Wick hospital during 2022, about four per cent of the total for Caithness mums.
"We welcome the announcement that the consultant-led maternity service is going to be reinstated in Moray and extra funding is going into maternity services at Raigmore and Elgin, but I see that the campaign group Keep Mum has many questions over the proposals," Mr Gunn said.
"Again, it seems that Caithness is forgotten about. Elgin’s campaign has certainly moved forward following their independent inquiry and I think it is really important that Caithness is given the independent inquiry into maternity services that we have been campaigning for."
He said CHAT had received cross-party support for an inquiry from local MP Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat) and MSPs Rhoda Grant (Labour), Edward Mountain (Conservative) and Alex Cole-Hamilton (the Scottish Lib Dem leader).
"We will be asking whoever becomes the new First Minister to support an independent inquiry," Mr Gunn said.
"We were told last year that NHS Highland would be working hard to increase the birth rate in the new CMU in Wick. However, although in 2022 Caithness had one of the highest birth rates since the unit was downgraded in 2016, it also had the lowest number of births in Wick.
"NHS Highland is about to go public with the latest news on the Caithness health redesign plans and the proposed two new hubs, which are very welcome – but sadly, changes to maternity and gynaecology are not included.
"Our friends at North Highland Women's Wellbeing Hub recently attended an event where the current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, 'It is a fundamental right to access healthcare.'"
The Scottish Government said on Friday that its plan for an integrated maternity service for the north, developed jointly by NHS Grampian and NHS Highland, will be backed by up to £6.6 million of investment.
A phased return to obstetric maternity services at Dr Gray's will begin with enhanced complex obstetric antenatal care and day assessment later this year. Elective caesarean births will restart in early 2025, with full consultant- led services returning in 2026.
A networked model of care with Raigmore will see Moray women offered a choice of place of birth in early 2025, once refurbishment work has concluded. Refurbishment of Raigmore's maternity unit will be supported through a further £5 million of earmarked funding.
Scotland's health secretary Humza Yousaf said: “NHS Grampian and Highland’s ambitious plan will deliver what local people have asked for – a return to obstetric maternity services at Dr Gray's in a safe and sustainable way.
“Delivering the plan will not be without its challenges, and the collaborative approach NHS Grampian and Highland have in place will provide a solid platform for shared delivery."
NHS Highland’s chief executive Pam Dudek said: “NHS Highland will continue to work alongside NHS Grampian and other partners to support women to give birth with a focus on choice and involvement in planning their care with us.
“In order to do so safely, we need to upgrade facilities at Raigmore and significantly increase our workforce."
In 2018, due to staff shortages, NHS Grampian changed Dr Gray's maternity services from an obstetric consultant-led service to a midwife-led service.
NHS Highland and NHS Grampian submitted a plan for an integrated maternity service, with consultant-led obstetric services at Dr Gray’s, to Mr Yousaf in December 2022.
Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain said he would be seeking further dialogue with clinicians, NHS Highland and the Scottish Government, "because just throwing money at the problem won’t resolve it".
He added: “This announcement also does not excuse the Scottish Government from delivering the full review of maternity cover in Caithness, which has been promised to campaigners.”
While just eight mothers gave birth in the Wick CMU during 2022, the number of Caithness women having babies at Raigmore was 202.
CHAT has been calling for the so-called Orkney model – a midwife-led unit backed up by consultants. Around 80 per cent of Orkney mothers give birth in their local area.
