‘Step up to the mark or resign’ -Ron Gunn and Richard Gale

The second post today, and with very good reason. Acting in his capacity as an elected Highland Councillor, and Chair of the Highland Council’s Caithness Committee, Ron Gunn has issued an open letter, jointly with Cllr Richard Gale of Golspie, Chair of the Sutherland Committee, in which they make it quite clear that they expect MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Maree Todd, to “consider her position” as public anger rises over the “pause” to the £80 million Caithness healthcare redesign.

Ron and Richard have pointed out that in the past week Caithness was completely cut off from the south – and therefore access to the centralised Raigmore Hospital – with road and rail links closed down, and blizzard conditions affecting the whole area.

Any mother in labour, caught in these whiteout conditions, perhaps in a location where there was no mobile signal to allow her to call for help, would have been in desperate straits, and we are very fortunate indeed that no tragedies occured.

Ron and Richard also ask wonder when it was first known that the announcement was imminent………………….

The joint letter is very powerful indeed – perhaps the strongest of its type issued for many years – and it comes as a breath of fresh air to find that we have Councillors who have the courage to stand up and fight for their constituents.

In conclusion they said this:- “So, our question to Ms Todd is this. Is it not time to consider your position as MSP for this area and either step up to the mark or resign and trigger a by-election so that we can have an MSP who actually cares for Caithness and Sutherland?”

Here is the link for subscribers to the Groat:-

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/step-up-to-the-mark-or-resign-msp-challenged-over-pause-o-340144/

“A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN OF PROPER RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT” – STONE

Today’s Caithness Courier features CHAT on the front page, with the headline “Anger over “pause” in health redesign plans”. No punches have been pulled, and it does not matter what excuses, or attempts to shift the blame, emanate from the usual directions, the facts are simple. The long-promised Health Hubs are “paused” and so is the work on CGH.

“Pause” is defined as “to cease or suspend an action temporarily”. So just how long will this “pause” be? Would anyone like to take a bet? And another good question – When did the Scottish Government know that this was going to happen? These things do not occur overnight. Before Christmas? Earlier? One thing is certain – there will be strong moves to try and shift the blame. And meanwhile – as usual – precisely nothing useful is going to happen in the far north.

MP Jamie Stone has weighed in very strongly and said he was “disgusted” and described the situation as “A complete breakdown of proper responsible government”.

Things are now utterly dire in Caithness, and we must all stand up and say so. Enough is enough. Time for all our politicians to forget the “party line”, call a joint crisis meeting, sit down and sort this out before it is too late. We are at a tipping point now – another cut here and there, another broken promise, and we may never be able to pull back from the brink.

Meanwhile, on page 2, MSP Maree Todd says “I fully sympathise with the concerns of expectant mothers and their families, especially during the winter months, in making the journey to Inverness”. We quite agree……………we keep saying so. May we have some action now please, as promised?

The Caithness Courier has much more, and for subscribers, here is the link:-

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/caithness-people-treated-appallingly-over-pause-on-health-339962/

“THEY ARE JUST TAKING US FOR GRANTED UP HERE” – RON GUNN

In another powerful news story in the Groat today, CHAT Chairman Ron Gunn has hit out at the ongoing situation faced by Caithness Mums who are obliged to undergo the torturous 100 mile plus journey to Inverness to have their babies.

Ron said that the recent heavy snowfall, leading to closure of the A9, brings the concern into sharp focus once again – and indeed it does. The past few days have reminded us of just how dangerous it can be. Can you imagine the potential consequences of a mother in labour getting stuck in the drifting snow yesterday? The consequences do not bear thinking about.

In 2022, no less than 202 mothers (out of a total of 210 from Caithness) had to make this journey.

Ron again called for the “Orkney Model” to be introduced here in the county – quite simply a midwife-led unit backed up by consultants. And he is right.

CHAT met with the then Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf in August, 2022, and called for precisely that. The Scottish Government response, whenever the maternity question is raised, is “Safe maternity care as close to home as practicable, is vital”. We will say it again – We agree. We keep telling you that. And in what way is a journey of over 100 miles in a blizzard to give birth either “Safe” or “Close to home”? We await an answer.

Ron also said that “people from the county are being taken for granted”…………………..

The full story is in today’s Groat, and subscribers can access it by this link:-

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/snowfalls-underline-safety-concerns-over-caithness-mums-to-b-339309/

NUMBER OF AMBULANCE TRANSFERS “ALARMING”

CHAT Chairman, Ron Gunn, has described the number of patients being transferred by ambulance from Caithness and Sutherland to Inverness, as “Quite alarming”.

A recent Freedom of Information request shows that there were 483 transfers from Caithness in 2019; 399 in 2020; 468 in 2021; 433 in 2022 and 436 in 2023. In Sutherland, the figures were: 954 in 2019; 709 in 2020; 892 in 2021; 805 in 2022 and 794 in 2023.

That is more than one transfer a day from Caithness and more than two a day from Sutherland.

Cllr Matthew Reiss, said the statistics were “extraordinary” and called on the Scottish Government “to do something positive to help” and commented on the fact that having a Caithness ambulance out of the county for several hours was also a concern.

Ron went on to say that he wondered “if there were so many transfers before NHS Highland decided to centralise so many services to Raigmore” and “would the same number of transfers be required if Caithness had better services” .

These are very valid questions, brought into sharp focus by the recent weather events, when the A9 was closed.

Cllr Reiss also said “local MSP, Maree Todd, should “take up the cudgels” and urge the health secretary “to do something positive to help.”

The full story is on the front page of the John O’Groat Journal today, and subscribers can access it via this link:-

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/health-campaigner-says-number-of-patients-transferred-by-amb-339391/

JAMIE STONE – NHS SCOTLAND HAS ABANDONED THE WOMEN OF THE FAR NORTH

Jamie Stone, MP, posted this on his Facebook page today. No need to add anything……

 “NHS Scotland has abandoned the women of the Far North.

When the roads close up here (which they often do during winter), women are left with *no access* to maternity or specialised health services, unless there happens to be an air ambulance available.

NHS Scotland has also just announced £9 million for the maternity unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

That’s all well and good for those further south, but it’s a slap in the face for those in the north who have been pleading for these services to be restored locally.

For months of the year, our roads are icy and riddled with potholes at best.

A woman in Caithness who has just gone into labour or needs urgent specialised surgery must face a 100+ mile (a 2.5 hour drive) treacherous journey.

And that’s if the roads are even open!

Maternity services were restored (and rightly so!) at Dr Grays in Elgin following an impact assessment that deemed it unsafe for women to have to travel 38 miles to the nearest maternity unit.

I’ll say it again – women in Caithness are travelling over 100 miles! In labour!

No impact assessment has been carried out.

No person in their right mind could look at this situation and deem it safe.

It is a clear breach of human rights for the women of the Far North who have been forsaken by NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government.“

LATEST NEWS ON MATERNITY CARE IN NHSH AREA

Today, there is a story in the “Caithness Courier” in which it is reported that “Planning permission has been granted for an expansion of maternity wards and services at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness”. Excellent news. But, apparently, NHS Highland says “the expansion will enable MORE WOMEN FROM CAITHNESS, as well as Moray, TO GIVE BIRTH IN THE HIGHLAND CAPITAL”.

Are we missing something here? In 2022 there were 210 new Caithness Babies. 202 of the mothers gave birth in Raigmore. What is the plan here? 100%? Has NHSH actually listened to what CHAT has been saying? Have they paid attention to a single word said by countless Caithness mums? Are they aware of the media coverage, in print and on TV? Judging by the quote given, it would appear not.

Ron Gunn, Chair of CHAT said “

 “The disproportionate number of women who have to travel the A9 south is really incredible, more than 90 per cent are considered to be ‘complex births’ and that really is not a tenable figure. But for us in Caithness this development is very concerning if its motivation is to see more not less births from the county at Raigmore, which of course deserves the best possible facilities – as do we in Caithness.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson is reported to have said “Safe maternity care as close to home as practicable is vital”.

Yes. we know. We have told you so repeatedly. And a 100 mile plus journey in the depths of winter is not “safe”, nor is it “close to home”.

Worth buying the Courier, or , if you subscribe, here is the link:- https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/caithness-maternity-care-questions-still-not-answered-338328/

CHAIRMAN OF BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IN SCOTLAND – “Urgent Action needed”

Dr Iain Kennedy, the Chairman of the British Medical Association in Scotland has been quoted in the media, calling for “urgent action” to cope with “a critical shortfall of medics in the Highlands, Islands, and rural communities” and is reported as saying that the “NHS in Scotland has a big rural problem”.

He is also reported as saying ” “Things appear to be getting worse” due to an “abject failure in workforce planning”.

Mental Health is also highlighted, and Dr Kennedy said ” We’re seeing more and more people with the psychological effects from the pandemic and they’re not able to access the services they need.” An NHS Highland spokesman is quoted as saying that “NHS Highland is aware of the “pressures” and apologised for the “distress” long waiting times are causing patients”.

(It is heartening to note that NHS Highland are currently advertising a Consultant Psychiatrist’s post for Caithness and Sutherland – this is very good news, and let us hope the vacancy is filled quickly).

These are all points that CHAT have been emphasising for a very long time. We urgently need a very active local recruitment drive – and by all means improve the salaries, and the terms and conditions – to attract staff. We are very fortunate to have excellent Doctors, Nurses, and Ancillary staff here in the county, who perform incredibly well, but we must have increased numbers of medics to cope with the workload, and to facilitate a return to access to treatment locally.

CHAT work actively with other groups in Scotland to push for greatly improved access to healthcare in “rural and remote” areas, and we strongly support our local NHS workers – but we seek better for them – and we seek localised care for patients. It is very reassuring to note that we now have the Chairman of the BMA in Scotland saying exactly what we have said for years.

There is a lot of media coverage on this story – The P & J ran a story on it, and here is a link to the Guardian, which is accessible to all.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/02/bma-scotland-chair-calls-for-urgent-action-to-address-shortfall-of-rural-gps

YOUNG PATIENT FAMILIES FUND

We know just how expensive it can be for families who need to travel to visit a child who is an inpatient in hospital, we know how important those visits are to everyone, and we also know that many people are not aware of their entitlements, so we will make a point of regularly highlighting the help that is available, both on the CHAT website at caithnesshealth.com and on the CHAT FB page.

Today we are going to tell you about the “Young Patient Families Fund” – and we are pretty sure that a lot of people don’t know about this, so we are going to ask you to share the FB post as widely as you possibly can, to make sure that nobody misses out.

This fund is a Scottish Government initiative – link below – and it is intended to help people cope with the costs of visiting a child (under 18) who is an inpatient. The introductory paragraph says:- “If you’re the parent, primary carer or sibling (aged under 18) of a young inpatient under the age of 18 receiving hospital care, you can claim for the costs of travel and food”.

There is a fair bit of help available:- a return car journey per day, meals, a contribution to accommodation costs, and even parking charges, can be claimed for. As always, there are terms and conditions to study, but the claiming process is basically quite simple, and, if you work through the link, you will be able to access leaflets giving you all the information you need, and a downloadable claim form, but remember that if you need any help or guidance, CHAT are always here to assist.

Here is the link to the mygov.scot page, where you can read all the details:-

https://www.mygov.scot/young-patients-family-fund

We really hope this helps – and please remember to share.

STORM GERRIT

Today, we had the “perfect storm”. Flooding. Trees down. A9 blocked. Advice not to travel.

CHAT said on Facebook:-

“Storm Gerrit today. Roads blocked by trees and air ambulance stuck.

NHS HighlandHumza YousafMaree Todd MSP

Do you think this is a safer maternity model ? Labouring mums having no choice but to travel on these roads to get to Raigmore and face the many dangers of their 100 mile journey”.

Human Rights in Childbirth

Councillor Matthew Reiss said:-

Matthew Reiss Independent Councillor for Thurso and Northwest Caithness

“There is a solution and our Orcadian friends have it- a Consultant led maternity service. I believe over 80% of Island mum’s give birth locally. Caithness matters.

I will shortly be asking BEAR again about routine tree maintenance along the A9. I asked earlier this month and received a complacent answer although some work is scheduled for January apparently”.

North Highland womens Wellness Hub said:-

North Highland Women’s Wellness Hub

“Once again the road from Raigmore to Caithness has had;

⚠️ Extreme flooding

⚠️Gusts of up to 70mph

⚠️ Accidents/Cars in ditches

⚠️ Air ambulance stuck in the mud

⚠️ Trees fallen & roads blocked

⚠️ Black ice this morning

We need services closer to home. It’s going to lead to an unavoidable death”.

These are the facts. It is that simple………………………..

A MATTER OF TIME……

Today, Caithness was hit by severe weather conditions – the A9 was closed, with the snow gates having to be closed at Berriedale. People were stranded in the sub-arctic conditions, driving was lethally dangerous, and the county was effectively completely isolated north of the Ord. Indeed, at time of writing, the A9 is shut – yet again – at Tomich due to flooding.

For years now, CHAT has been warning of the dangers – mums in labour, unborn babies, and indeed newborn babies, expected to to endure the torturous 100 plus mile journey to and from Raigmore, at all times of the day and night, and in all weather conditions. In 2022 no less than 202 mothers had to make this trip. Yes, 202 out of a total of 210 new mums. That is one every 43 hours……………It would seem that we were very, very lucky indeed today. We have all seen the pictures – cars stuck in the snow, blizzards, freezing temperatures, and the constant risk of an accident. Imagine what could have happened if a mum had been trying to get to Raigmore, and the car had become trapped in the snow or, even worse, slid off the road and down an embankment, with the mother in labour.

There are at least two members of CHAT who were directly involved in the rescue efforts in the great blizzard of 1978, and who know exactly how quickly the road can close, and the speed with which a car can be completely buried in snow. The Ord and Berriedale in particular are very dangerous indeed when the snow hits, and the authorities STILL will not listen when we tell them – over and over again – that they MUST deal with this situation.

MP Jamie Stone said today “”God help any pregnant woman or new mother at this time” and CHAT Chairman Ron Gunn said “Let’s hope and pray no one has to go to Raigmore”.

And on the same note, there is – as usual – much talk of dualling the A9, but precious little about the fact that the A9 does NOT stop at Inverness, or indeed Nigg Roundabout. It is 81 miles from Nigg Roundabout to Scrabster, and the A99 from Latheron to Wick is also in serious need of upgrades. At what point will this be acknowledged and acted upon by our elected leaders?

We MUST have action on the Maternity situation (and remember too all the other patients who have to make this journey), and we MUST have action on the A9 and A99 north.

To all the politicians out there – here is a message for you. You must act – and you must act now. If you do not, then it is – literally – a matter of time before tragedy strikes.