MP Jamie Stone accuses Scottish Government of kicking the ball into long grass over Caithness maternity care
Far north MP Jamie Stone has hit back at Scotland's health secretary for dismissing his invitation to make the 100-mile journey from Caithness to Raigmore as "tokenistic".
The Liberal Democrat MP reacted with dismay at Humza Yousaf's refusal to commission a review into Caithness maternity services, in line with the report undertaken in Moray.
The Scottish Government minister visited the Highlands on Monday to meet clinicians at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness as part of a review into maternity services in Moray.
And the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representative reiterated his party's call for an independent review into maternity provision in Caithness, with his Lib Dem colleague describing it as “the least tokenistic thing" that the Cabinet Secretary for Health could do.
Mr Yousaf said on Monday that he would meet members of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) and women who had to endure the journey, but described the invitation to experience the trip himself as "tokenistic" and a "media stunt".
Mr Stone told the John O'Groat Journal: “In my maiden speech when I was first elected to Westminster, I raised the issue of pregnant mums having to travel ludicrous distances to give birth in sometimes severe winter weather.
"Back then I called for an independent safety audit of mums making these long journeys. I made it directly to the then Cabinet Secretary for Health in the Scottish Government, and despite repeated requests over the years, this has not happened.
“I regard Humza Yousaf’s agreement to meet with CHAT, but not to commission an inquiry, as yet another example of kicking the ball into the long grass.
"It’s very simple, what’s good for Moray is good for Caithness, and my constituents demand to know why the Scottish Government has decided to disadvantage the far north in this way.”
During an interview on Monday, Mr Yousaf said: “I'm not an expectant mother so to suggest that I would be able to know what an expectant mother would be going through by simply driving up and down that road – I think frankly is a bit tokenistic.
“I'm happy to speak to expectant mothers, I'm happy to speak to women who have had to make that journey.
“I think that's far more valuable than, for example, doing the journey and getting a couple of clips for the camera and doing some kind of media stunt.”
Jan McEwan, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Wick and East Caithness in May's council election, added: “People in Caithness are rightly asking why Moray is receiving an independent review into its maternity provision, but after many years of raising concerns, Caithness is not.
"If the Cabinet Secretary for Health wants to avoid tokenism, commissioning a safety audit would be the least tokenistic thing that he could do.”
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