Centralisation has not worked, Caithness health campaigner tells Skye public meeting
Health campaigner Ron Gunn brought a message of support from Caithness to a protest and public meeting in Skye, where he declared: "Centralisation of services has not worked."
He argued that outlying areas had been "forgotten" by NHS Highland and said it was "completely unsatisfactory" that no managers from the health board had attended the event, organised on Saturday by the Save Portree Hospital group.
Mr Gunn, the chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT), was one of a number of speakers at a packed Skye Gathering Hall after a march through the streets of Portree.
“There was a great turnout from the public," he said. "The hall was full. All the seats were taken, with folk standing at the back.
“They've lost a lot of local services, and with the services they have at the moment they're really struggling to get them to work.
“They had an independent inquiry a few years ago and the recommendations have not been implemented yet.
“When I spoke I said we've got very similar problems with centralisation and we've felt that NHS Highland has forgotten about the remote and rural areas.”
Other speakers were Highland councillor Calum Munro, Dr Charles Crichton and Gordon Bell, communications manager for Kate Forbes MSP, along with campaigners Mairi MacDonald and Neil Campbell.
Ms Forbes, Highland councillor John Finlayson and NHS Highland chief executive Pam Dudek submitted statements.
Mr Gunn, who is also a Highland councillor for Thurso and Northwest Caithness, said: "All the speakers were given rounds of applause by the audience, especially Mairi MacDonald who passionately listed all the health services they had lost and highlighted the group’s serious concerns about the services they now have.
"I spoke about how similar the situation is in Caithness and how centralisation of services has not worked for us.
"I thought it was completely unsatisfactory that there were no NHS Highland managers there to hear what was said and to answer questions."
Scotland's health secretary Humza Yousaf held a meeting with CHAT in Wick in August, and earlier this month he sent a detailed follow-up letter to the group. One point the health secretary made was that "the engagement and relationship between the board and action groups could be improved".
Mr Gunn explained: "I made reference at the meeting to Humza Yousaf’s letter to CHAT, reading the sections where he states that the NHS Highland board’s engagement and relationships with campaign groups could be improved to strengthen those relationships and that NHS Highland has committed to work proactively, and to listen and respond to concerns raised, with a view to developing services that meet the needs of the community.
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"He had also said that the Scottish Government is supporting rural, remote and island communities to address the unique health and social care challenges they face."
Mr Gunn added: "The visit has strengthened the already great relationship we have with the Save Portree Hospital campaign group and we discussed our next course of action. I think it's good that we are working together.
"CHAT, Save Portree Hospital, North Highland Women’s Wellbeing Hub, Save Galloway Hospital, Caithness Roads Recovery, individual health campaigners, some Caithness councillors, Highland MSPs and our MP are in discussion about how to improve health services in our areas.
"There will be more about this in the coming weeks."
In a social media post, Save Portree Hospital said: "A very big thank you to everyone who attended our protest and public meeting on Saturday. It was great to see so many people turn out. We very much appreciate your support."
A spokesperson for NHS Highland said: "We recognise the concerns and anxieties raised by the local communities in respect of health and social care in the area. All areas of Highland are important to us and we are committed to getting services to the best place possible for the future working with our partners and local communities.
"Recruitment and retention are our biggest challenge, and while that is reflected across the country it can be particularly noticeable in remote and rural communities. We are taking a number of approaches forward to recruitment with the support of local communities and, while there has been some success, this an ongoing challenge for us.
"We welcome any opportunity to advocate for the remote and rural Highlands as a great place to live and work."