Stone says centralising maternity and women's health services in Inverness is 'utter folly'

CENTRALISING maternity and women's health services in Inverness is "utter folly", according to far north MP, Jamie Stone.

He implored UK Government ministers to work with the Scottish Government "to restore Caithness General Hospital to its former capabilities."

The Liberal Democrat MP made the plea in the House of Commons during Scotland Questions following the recent bad winter storms which closed the A9 road and caused travel disruption and other problems.

The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross MP, highlighted the road closures in Caithness due to heavy snow and stormy weather, which left the area "completely cut off from accessing the nearest maternity unit or specialised women's health service."

Mr Stone pointed out the "utter folly" in centralising these services in the Highland capital and said: "It is absolutely bonkers that women in the far north face a two-and-a-half hour drive down to Inverness to access vital health services. Imagine going into labour and having to get into a car for that long or having to make the arduous journey multiple times a month for routine appointments.

"And that is if you're even lucky enough to have the roads open. The Highlands is no stranger to extreme weather conditions, and when it's as bad as it has been recently, closed roads lock the far north off from the rest of the country. It is a miracle that no woman or baby has died thus far, because this is truly a life-threatening situation. We've got a perfectly good, workable hospital in Wick which should be upgraded and put into full use."

He added: "Until one of my counterparts in Holyrood bucks up and does something about this, I will not stop banging the drum. Particularly in times like these, Highland women mustn't be abandoned."

Mr Stone stressed that last year in Scotland almost 3,000 people had to wait more than eight hours for an ambulance. and asked if the Minister shares his "deep anxiety for any woman who lives over 100 miles away from Raigmore Hospital."

John Lamont MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, said he shared these concerns but added: "I agree that these long distances are not acceptable, but it tells you all you need to know about the NHS in rural Scotland. NHS Highland have said that it will need to substantially reduce spend following the SNP Government's budget in December. The SNP Government is taking a slash and burn approach to the rural NHS across Scotland."

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