Campaigners say healthcare services for women in Caithness and Sutherland are 'not safe or ethical'
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Far north health campaigners have reiterated their view that services for women in Caithness and Sutherland are neither safe nor ethical.
They also emphasise that women are "more than just baby-makers" and that gynaecological care is essential throughout their lives.
In the meantime, members of the North Highland Women’s Wellbeing Hub are continuing to work with human rights organisations as they seek improvements at local level.
An online petition to the Scottish Parliament calling for an emergency in-depth review of women's health services in Caithness and Sutherland, set up by the group's vice-chairperson Rebecca Wymer, had attracted 2752 signatures by the time it closed a year ago this week.
The petition is listed as "under consideration" and was part of an agenda item at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament's health, social care and sport committee on Tuesday. However, hub members were left disappointed as the issue was not addressed.
The petition warns that "women's health services are now breaching basic human rights and we fear someone will lose their life due to the lack of gynaecology care".
Among those attending this week's meeting were Scotland's health secretary Humza Yousaf and Susan Gallacher, deputy director of primary care strategy and capability. Mr Yousaf had met Ms Wymer and two other North Highland Women’s Wellbeing Hub representatives, Kirsteen Campbell (chairperson) and Claire Clark (secretary/treasurer), during his visit to Wick last August.
The group issued a statement on Tuesday saying: "Following today's meeting, we are deeply disappointed that women's healthcare is still seemingly being viewed as just a maternity matter.
"Safe obstetrics are vital, but women are more than just baby-makers. Gynaecology is essential for women throughout their lives and services in Caithness and Sutherland are, in our opinion, currently not safe or ethical.
"We have a great relationship with the obstetrics, gynaecology and sexual health teams in Raigmore and they are incredible. They ooze passion and dedication.
"They are also overrun, overstretched and under-appreciated by the decision-makers and purse-holders (our words, not theirs). Patients and staff alike are suffering from the current set-up so no-one is winning."
The statement went on: "The cabinet secretary stating that NHS management need to liaise with the public more is classic political spin. NHS Highland management meet with us regularly. Conversely, Mr Yousaf has now cancelled both of the meetings he scheduled with the hub at the very last minute.
"It was deeply disappointing that Susan Gallacher, the only woman on the panel, stayed completely silent during the meeting."
In October last year, the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) wrote to NHS Highland and Mr Yousaf highlighting issues ranging from lengthy A9 journeys to the quality of gynaecological provision following concerns from women in Caithness and Sutherland.
The SHRC chairman, Ian Duddy, pointed out that "the right to health is an internationally recognised right to which the UK has committed to comply" and said the commission wanted to ensure that the delivery of health services in the Highlands "takes a human rights-based approach".
The hub says there has been no reply from either NHS Highland or the Scottish Government.
Its statement added: "We are requesting a separate review of the petition relating to women's health services in Caithness and Sutherland as we feel the matter has not been sufficiently looked at by the committee as yet, although we are grateful to everyone who attended the meeting for their time.
"We are continuing to work with the Scottish Human Rights Commission and Making Rights Real on the ethical impacts of the current situation."
