Dunbar petition gets high priority pledge
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A PETITION against proposed changes at the Dunbar Hospital has been delivered to Scotland’s health secretary and deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
The document, which contains almost 4000 signatures, was handed over by Wick Highland councillor Gail Ross on behalf of the “Save the Dunbar Hospital” campaign group.
It is believed to be the first time a petition has been personally delivered to Miss Sturgeon’s private office at the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs Ross, who went to Edinburgh with the petition on Friday, said she was told by the minister’s personal secretary that it would be given the highest priority.
“I would hope that this petition, which illustrates the strength of feeling about what is proposed at the Dunbar, makes NHS Highland and the Scottish Government listen to what local people want. They are the most important in all of this,” she told the Caithness Courier yesterday.
Mrs Ross said the plans have created “a huge backlash” from the public who are opposed to the changes, which include the loss of the inpatient beds and reduced opening hours at the minor injuries unit. She hopes the health secretary will respond as soon as possible.
The petition highlights several points of concern, including the distances involved in travelling from Thurso and North Sutherland to Caithness General Hospital in Wick instead of the Dunbar in Thurso. A covering letter from Rona Button, who helped organise the campaign, criticised the public consultation process.
Mrs Ross said: “There are real issues that need to be addressed concerning these proposed service changes. After listening to residents here in my own ward and across the north coast, it seems transport is a major point of concern. I was particularly struck by families who had concerns that additional travel could cause extra stress for palliative care and elderly patients.”
She added: “When I was elected to the Highland Council earlier this year, I promised to do everything I could to stand up for Caithness. Well, it seems that includes marching up to the deputy first minister’s private office to tell her about our concerns around the Dunbar Hospital.”
Mrs Ross said initially it was planned to hand over the petition to Far North MSP Rob Gibson, but it was then decided to take it directly to the Miss Sturgeon.
“I am confident Nicola Sturgeon will take our concerns on board. We’ve certainly taken a direct approach,” added Mrs Ross.
Hazel Dunbar, from Castletown, who was involved in setting up the petition with her mother, Rona Button, was delighted the document was handed over to the health secretary.
“I think it’s great that Nicola Sturgeon is going to look into this on behalf of everybody in the North. We have had a great response to the petition and I hope something positive comes out of it,” she told the Courier yesterday.
Under the proposed changes, the inpatient beds at the Dunbar would be closed and there would be a cut in the opening hours at the minor injuries unit.
However, local health bosses say the Thurso hospital would become a centre for community-based services and insist that the west Caithness redesign plan will provide the best possible healthcare within the available resources.
