Fresh concerns over Caithness mums and babies after latest A9 closure

The latest serious accident on the northern A9 has prompted fresh concerns over the safety of mums-to-be from Caithness who have to travel to Inverness to give birth.

The trunk road was closed for more than three hours on Thursday after a two-car collision south of Brora at Doll. It was closed at around 6.10pm and fully reopened by about 9.35pm.

Iain Gregory, vice-chairman of Caithness Health Action Group (CHAT), said: “Once again the notorious A9 was closed as a result of an incident on Thursday night.

“CHAT has frequently highlighted the dangers arising as a result of our only main route south being closed due to traffic accidents, fallen trees, severe weather, landslips or many other possible causes, and this is yet another instance.”

Last week, CHAT sent a submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva arguing that women from the far north “are denied their basic human rights in relation to fair, equitable, adequate and accessible healthcare” because so many have to travel to Raigmore to give birth.

The group claims that many other patients from Caithness are also “denied their rights to accessible and adequate facilities”.

The move came just two weeks after a report by the Scottish Human Rights Commission found that mums in Caithness and Sutherland felt “unsafe” and “terrified” about going to Raigmore to have their babies.

CHAT’s submission states that healthcare access for people living in Caithness “has been substantially curtailed over recent years… with maternity care suffering particularly badly”.

Mr Gregory is also co-founder of Caithness Roads Recovery (CRR), which was set up to campaign for greater investment on roads in the county.

He said: “On Thursday night CRR was contacted by Caithness motorists at the location of the accident and, while there were potential ways round, these involved using single-track roads – via Dunrobin Glen, for example.

“But, depending on the location of an incident, we may well one day be faced with no viable diversion other than to try and get south via the A836, and then down through Altnaharra and Lairg – always assuming that this route was itself open.

“There is a clear and present danger that sooner or later we are going to have a case where a mum-to-be is in an ambulance or, in the worst-case scenario, being driven in a private car on the long and tortuous journey to Raigmore to have her baby, when the road is suddenly closed.

“The potential consequences do not bear thinking about.

“There has been a very high level of publicity over the past week or so concerning this very matter, and CHAT calls upon both NHS Highland and the Scottish Government to act, and to act now, before a tragedy occurs.”

CHAT’s submission to the UN is due to be considered early in 2025.

A man has been arrested following Thursday’s crash. It left a person in hospital with serious injuries.

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