Campaigners plan town hall protest against maternity cuts

CAMPAIGNERS are hitting the streets again to protest against recommendations to downgrade maternity services in Caithness.

Members of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) are organising a protest on Tuesday morning outside Wick Town Hall after NHS Highland announced it wants to create a midwife-led unit for maternity services at Caithness General Hospital (CGH) in Wick.

It proposes to axe obstetrician posts at the Wick hospital which means emergency and elective c-sections will no longer be carried out at CGH.

NHS Highland wants to strengthen Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to provide 24 hour a day obstetric, neonatal and senior midwifery support to all community midwifery unit teams across the NHS Highland area.

NHS Higland claim maternity services in Caithness can be handled by midwives due to an average of three births a week at CGH and don't require consultant obstetricians

However CHAT representatives are furious the recommendations were made without public consultation and are concerned about the safety and reliability of transporting patients over 100 miles to Inverness.

Caithness councillors will be meeting at Wick Town Hall on Tuesday morning where the Caithness Committee meeting will take place.

Campaigners will be protesting outside the building at Bridge Street at 9:20am on Tuesday to put their message across to councillors.

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