We won't be ignored any longer! Caithness demands action after SNP debate

Caithness was put at the front and centre of the national conversation after the three candidates vying to be the next first minister were challenged to address local concerns.

Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan faced questions at a Highland debate hosted by the publisher of the Caithness Courier, Highland News and Media.

And having heard their promises on a wide range of subjects – which included maternity services in the county, decentralisation, governing for the whole of Scotland and even looking at the break up of Highland Council – local campaigners are determined to make the next first minister stick to their pledges.

"I think the proof's going to be in the pudding," Trudy Morris, the chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said after the debate on Friday. "I've tweeted to say I'm going to invite the new first minister up to the north Highlands to discuss it further.

"I'm glad that they're talking about a government for the whole of Scotland but they have to put that into practice, actions have to follow the words, so that's what we're looking for.

"We don't want to get told it's too far to come or they'll give us a half-an-hour phone call – we want to see them physically on the ground."

Ms Morris had questioned the candidates on how they would govern for the whole of the country.

She added: "We don't have a lot of votes in our constituency and when you look at the big ticket items, the Queensferry Crossing, these multimillion-pound projects, actually for a fraction of that cost you could do so much in a rural area like the north Highlands.

"There was a lot of talk about the state of the roads, and I accept they are not very good elsewhere, but in Caithness it is amazing how they've deteriorated over the years.

"We're told the dualling is delayed on the A9 – that affects us – but actually there's going to be no investment on the A9 north, so we're always the last.

"They could make a bigger impact for a smaller amount of money here but because we don't have the votes, we are down there in the ranking for investment decisions, and I think that's the issue."

Ron Gunn, chairman of Caithness Health Action Team and a local Lib Dem councillor, was pleased that a number of Caithness topics were raised at the Inverness Courier Leadership Debate, including the maternity service.

The Caithness unit was downgraded on safety grounds in 2016 but campaigners have long argued for an improvement to the midwife-led unit at Caithness General Hospital in Wick, where only eight babies were born in 2022.

Mr Gunn said: "We’re delighted that the maternity situation was discussed, because there is a feeling that we’ve been forgotten about.

"We’re slightly disappointed in what was not mentioned – there was no mention of an independent review on the maternity and women’s services which Moray has received. We would really like that because an independent review would look at everything including the reason why the unit was downgraded.

"When we met with Humza we asked for a review and he said I believe you should get a review, but not necessarily an independent review – so it’s a review by NHS Highland which is far from independent.

"The other thing that wasn’t mentioned was the knock-on effect the downgrading has had on women’s services – there’s virtually no gynaecological or obstetrics, and they all have to go to Inverness for that.

"The previous model was declared as safe, but the current model we have can’t be classed as safe when year after year since 2016 well over 90 per cent of pregnant women have to travel down and back up the notorious A9 in all weather and road conditions. The majority travel down in their private vehicles as well – how can that be a safe model?"

Mr Gunn pointed out that Mr Yousaf admitted himself that the situation was "not ideal" and that he wouldn't want his own wife making that journey in labour.

"What about the poor women up here? They have to do it, they have no choice in it," he said.

"Overall, we’re delighted the maternity situation was discussed, and whoever the new first minister will be, we’ll be watching very closely to see what they do about the maternity and gynaecological situation in Caithness.

"So it put the situation on the map. We’ll certainly get back to them and see what they’re planning and maybe try and get a meeting with them or whoever the new health minister might be."

Ms Morris added: "We've had a midwife-led maternity unit for seven or eight years and they are just talking now about trying to get consultants, when it's even more difficult to get NHS staff. They should have started that before. They've done a U-turn on Moray and yet Caithness is still where it is.

"Women are being badly let down in Caithness and it's by the grace of god that nobody has actually died making that trip to Raigmore."