We are losing the ability to say ‘I was born in Caithness’
Holyrood Notebook by Rhoda Grant
The week before last, I had the pleasure of welcoming Jackie Baillie, deputy leader of Scottish Labour, to the Highlands. Having raised the pressing issues facing our rural communities with senior party leadership for some time, I was delighted that Jackie chose to see these challenges first hand.
As Scottish Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Policy, Jackie is deeply involved in shaping the party’s manifesto for next year’s election. Strengthening social care remains a key priority in her portfolio.
With that in mind, Jackie, Eva Kestner, Scottish Labour’s candidate for the upcoming election, and I met with representatives from the health and wellbeing hubs from across the north and west at Bonar Bridge.
The hubs shared their deep frustration over the lack of progress in securing a stable contract and funding model. The current annual negotiation cycle creates uncertainty, undermines staff morale, and jeopardises long-term planning.
Each year, these vital services face the question of whether they can continue operating. This must change. The meeting reaffirmed how closely the hubs’ vision aligns with Scottish Labour’s commitment to strong, community-led services that deliver care and support close to home.
Later in the week, we met with the Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) to hear their concerns about the erosion of local NHS services. Their message was clear: they feel ignored by those in power.
You will have heard me protest for many years about the particularly alarming issue of the impact on maternity care. The requirement to travel to Inverness to give birth is influencing family planning decisions, 95 per cent of young women at a recent health forum said they would either delay starting a family or leave Caithness altogether.
Our visit to the maternity unit at Caithness General Hospital highlighted the injustice of the current situation. The facility is excellent, staffed by skilled professionals, and ready to provide high-quality care. Yet, more than nine out of ten mothers must travel south to deliver their babies.
The loss of the ability to say, “I was born in Caithness,” as generations before them have, is a painful symbol of neglect.
We concluded Jackie’s visit with a drive from Wick to Raigmore, mirroring the journey expectant mothers must make. This invitation had previously been declined by First Minister John Swinney when CHAT asked him to experience it himself.
Although the weather was fair, Jackie encountered the familiar obstacles: winding roads, delays from farm vehicles, delivery lorries, campervans, and over half an hour stuck in roadworks. It was a stark, real-time demonstration of the unnecessary risks and stress placed on women in labour.
As Jackie said at the end of her three-day visit to the Highlands: “There must be a better way of doing this.”
• Rhoda Grant is a Labour MSP for the Highlands and Islands.