Demand for Caithness women to have more say on local healthcare and community services
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Caithness should have more say in its local healthcare and community services, according to a hard-hitting report which also calls for major redevelopment of the A9 and better public transport links.
The report, produced by the Scottish Women's Convention (SWC), was published following an online meeting with women in Caithness and the surrounding area earlier this month.
It comes after local women's groups highlighted their concerns at the Scottish parliament and to health minister Humza Yousaf.
The key issue identified by the women is "the poor healthcare provision" initiated by the rise in centralisation across rural areas in Scotland. They say access to vital health services has been made worse by inadequate transport links and by so many people having to journey for treatment and appointments to Inverness and elsewhere.
The SWC, which engages with women across Scotland to ensure their views are represented in policy and decision-making processes, said: "The combination of these factors discourages new people to move to the area and encourages young people to move away, contributing to depopulation, making new economic ventures unlikely.
"As a result, the women of Caithness are experiencing increased financial hardship, with recent rising costs in living only likely to worsen this situation."
The women explained that through increased centralisation, many services have been moved to Inverness and taken out of the local community. That is "particularly prevalent across women-focused services, such as gynaecological cover" but also impacts on other areas such as as dentistry, orthodontics and physiotherapy.
Centralisation made it commonplace to travel long distances to receive healthcare and to make overnight stays in the south, said the report.
The A9 is another "major concern", with the road identified as a worry for the women who said it is often affected by snow and ice in the winter – as highlighted in last week's John O'Groat Journal – and is increasingly popular with tourists and people wishing to experience the North Coast 500 route. They also said public transport links are very poor.
The report said: "By continuously cutting the services available to these communities, it is less likely that new families will move into the area. Women explained that they had known of many circumstances where highly skilled individuals had hoped to move into the Highlands, but after carrying out some inquiries, were put off by poor transport links and the lack of access to critical healthcare: particularly gynaecological care.
"As these areas have become increasingly unattractive to young, skilled individuals, the impact of depopulation is becoming more obvious, which then leads to a further limiting of services to those who remain. It is therefore a continuous cycle of diminishing resources, greatly impacting the women of Caithness."
It said the poor infrastructure does not encourage new businesses to settle in the far north.
The women also highlighted the poor state of mental health care across the Highlands.
"The feelings of loneliness and isolation had significantly increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many women struggling to socialise due to poor transport links and the inherent rurality of Highland life. As a result of insufficient mental healthcare provision, third sector organisations have been increasingly relied upon to cover gaps," said the report.
It concluded: "Ultimately, the issues caused by centralisation are all inextricably linked and have begun to erode the community services in Caithness and the surrounding areas. These areas are facing a healthcare shortage, which is being fuelled by unacceptable transport links.
"Furthermore, due to poor infrastructure, businesses are less likely to invest in these areas, choosing the central belt instead, leading to inadequate opportunities for local women.
"However, despite these hurdles, the community spirit remains intact due to the support networks put in place by women and third sector organisations across the Highlands."
The report highlighted eight key recommendations, including:
- Major redevelopment of the A9 road to ensure safety for residents.
- Providing increased inclusive, public transport links in rural areas.
- Reversing the focus on centralisation and giving rural communities more say in their local services.
- Increased financial aid for individuals who have to travel long distances to access healthcare.
- Improving education for all, including healthcare professionals, to ensure women’s health concerns are not dismissed.
Kirsteen Campbell, of the North Highland Women's Wellbeing Hub, was delighted the group and other local organisations were able "to feed into the report".
She said: "It is a great opportunity for everything affecting women in Caithness to be documented and it has been submitted by SWC to all the Scottish Government cabinet ministers. We appreciate their time and look forward to working with them further.
"We will continue to campaign for safe local gynaecology services."
