National centre for health and social care should be based in the Highlands, says Edward Mountain
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A NORTH MSP has said a planned national centre for remote and rural health and social care should be based in the Highlands.
Conservative MSP, Edward Mountain, pointed out that the Scottish Government is working on a formal proposal to put the planned centre out to tender and he wants NHS Highland and the University of the Highlands and Islands to make a joint bid.
Mr Mountain believes a Highland medical school would be attractive to budding health care professionals and would help to address the historic challenges NHS Highland has faced with recruitment.
He said: "It is absolutely vital that the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health & Social Care is based in the Highlands.
“Our region is best placed to deliver and benefit from the creation of a medical school. If NHS Highland and UHI can train and recruit staff in the Highlands we are more likely to keep them, meaning our communities will get the future medical cover they need.
"UHI already has a great record at training health care professionals and locating a medical school in the Highlands would maximise the university’s undoubted expertise in this area."
The Highlands and Islands MSP added: " I believe that proposals for the remote and rural medical school should include the return of the midwifery course from Edinburgh to UHI.
"There is also a clear need for Raigmore hospital’s future replacement to be an acute general teaching hospital, which is what I continue to campaign for.
“By drawing together a new medical school, UHI and a replacement for Raigmore, there is the potential to address the recruitment and workforce planning issues that have challenged NHS Highland for so long."
He stressed that according to NHS Scotland, a national centre will "raise the profile of remote and rural practice as a career of choice and place the spotlight on Scotland for excellence in developing and delivering effective and innovative models of remote, rural and island health and care, education and training from a national and international perspective."
