Call for more ops and clinics to take place in Caithness

MORE minor operations and clinics should take place in Caithness, according to local health campaigner Bill Fernie.

He brought up the issue during a meeting with Pam Dudek, the recently appointed chief executive of NHS Highland. Mr Fernie, the chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (Chat), met Mrs Dudek in Wick along with Chat vice-chairman Ron Gunn and the group's secretary, Maria Aitken.

Mr Fernie said: "People are still having to attend Raigmore for minor ops and clinics which could be held locally. That is putting an additional strain on our severely deprived communities who struggle financially and suffer additionally through lack of public transport.

"We were promised that our local hospitals would be used to their full potential with minor operations being carried out here and major operations in Raigmore."

Chat would also like to see more orthodontic treatments provided in the far north and say patients who have to go to Inverness for appointments should get their travel expenses reimbursed if they are referred to a private clinic by NHS Highland. At present, patients receive their travel costs if they are treated at Raigmore but not if they are referred to a private clinic, Mr Fernie said.

"If NHS Highland is sending people to Inverness for an appointment they should get their travel reimbursed irrespective if they are seen at Raigmore or privately. It is unfair if they are not getting their travel expenses. They are getting treatment but, in some cases, not their expenses."

As previously reported, the Chat representatives raised a number of issues with Mrs Dudek at the meeting, including the number of mothers who have to give birth at Raigmore hospital in Inverness, the "rising ride" of mental health problems and the "extremely high" suicide rates and deaths from drugs overdoses.

Mrs Dudek said she would look at the issues highlighted by the health campaigners.

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