EDWARD MOUNTAIN: Sign up to demand a new hospital for the Highlands
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Holyrood Notebook by Edward Mountain
On the day I launched the petition for a brand new acute general teaching hospital, NHS Highland announced that Raigmore was extremely busy and could only accommodate those with urgent, life-threatening conditions.
This served as a stark and timely reminder why plans need to be set in motion for a new hospital as soon as possible.
All too often, capacity issues at the ageing Raigmore Hospital are becoming a problem. Services are squeezed into limited buildings, and wards are frequently bursting at the seams, causing delays in operations.
We can’t allow this to keep happening, it’s unsustainable and indicates that our health care infrastructure in the Highlands is close to breaking point.
I am not the only one who believes this. Humza Yousaf admitted in March 2023 that there is “no doubt” that Raigmore will need to be significantly refurbished or replaced altogether. Hundreds more agree and have already signed up to my petition too.
Given this growing support, it is therefore disappointing that the First Minister has responded by choosing to delay the inevitable need for developing plans for Raigmore’s replacement.
I’m under no illusion that delivering a new hospital could take up to a decade once communities and clinicians have been consulted, a site purchased and planning permission granted. However, it is better to begin a complex building project sooner, rather than later.
Every five years the Scottish Government sets out its infrastructure plans and apportions funding accordingly. The next time plans are considered for new hospitals is 2025 and I am campaigning to ensure Raigmore is at the top of the list.
By signing the petition, you can help make that happen. Indeed, the First Minister has also said that he will consider any petition – so let’s take him up on that offer and make Highland voices impossible to ignore.
I strongly believe that the delivery of a new hospital presents an opportunity to reshape our Highland health services.
I am proposing a hub and spoke principle, where our local hospitals are revitalised through closer partnerships with the new hospital. A Highland Medical School, which has a strong focus on rural healthcare, should also be included as part of the package too.
As we know all too well in the Highlands, attracting health care professionals to the region has been a historic problem. However, if we can teach the next generation of GPs, consultants, midwives and other health care professionals in our region then they are more likely to settle here. If we get this right, this could safeguard our health service for years to come.
I will continue to campaign relentlessly on this issue throughout the summer, ensuring the Scottish Government do not ignore everyone who has so far signed the petition.
This week I intend to raise the matter of a new hospital with the Cabinet Secretary for Health during General Questions at the Scottish Parliament.
Readers of this paper can also play their part too by signing the online petition at www.edwardmountainmsp.scot/a-brand-new-highland-hospital and then encouraging their family, friends and neighbours to do so as well.
If you are visiting Inverness then the petition can also be signed in-person at my regional office at 10 Drummond Street too.
Together let’s build the momentum for a brand-new hospital for the Highlands.
- Edward Mountain is a Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands.
