Redesign of NHS services in Caithness take a step forward
The redesign of health services in Caithness will take a step forward at the end of this month when the initial agreement is presented to the NHS Highland Board for sign off.
Having been through the first stages of NHS Highland governance, the initial agreement will be heard at a meeting later in November. Once ratified by the board it will then go to the Scottish Government Capital Investment Group for approval.
Michelle Johnstone, north area manager for NHS Highland, said: "Approval of the initial agreement will be a huge milestone for the redesign project.
"It will allow us to proceed to the next stage which will involve a more detailed development of the service model, workforce plan, and accommodation brief. This will then allow us to appoint design teams to develop proposals for the two new community hubs and changes in Caithness General Hospital and take them forward to planning permission stage.
"It’s an exciting time in the project and I look forward to the next steps."

Three site options were given in Wick for a possible health hub with one near the airport, adjacent to Noss Primary School, chosen as the favourite after public consultation in the town.
The Noss site has since been identified by the project team as the preferred site in principle for the Wick hub, while in Thurso only one site was put forward – the Dunbar Hospital.
An NHS Highland spokesperson stated that further technical and cost appraisal work will be carried out during the next year to determine the final choice of site – Pulteney House or the Town and County Hospital are the alternatives in Wick – in line with the public consultation. The outcome and recommendation will be presented to the NHS Highland Board for a final decision.
An updated list of timescales – available on the NHS Highland website – gives the completion date for construction on the hubs as 2025/26.
The proposed changes at Caithness General Hospital will include:
- An increase in single room and en-suite provision to meet current guidance;
- A reconfigured Emergency Department, Primary Care Emergency Centre and Clinical Decision Unit to better support patient flow;
- Development and expansion of Point of Care Testing and rapid access to diagnostics.
The Caithness General Hospital design statement, recently published on the website, also gives an idea on softer improvements such as access, privacy and dignity, as well as improved environment.
Fine detail of the proposed changes will be developed over the next three months to allow a clear accommodation brief to be provided and appointment of a design and build team to take forward the proposals.
The Community Midwifery Unit at the Wick hospital was completed last month.
Bill Fernie, vice-chairman of Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) expressed concern about the length of time the redesign was taking.
"Three years ago I asked how long will this take, they said three to five years. There are so many things still to do – they still need to present a business plan to the Scottish Government and then they need planning permission which can take a long time."
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Commenting on the fact that some councillors had been on the original redesign committee 10 years ago, he added: "The biggest thing they brought out in the last few years was the hub."
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