Report points to ‘poor state of economic, social and cultural rights in Highlands and Islands’
Too many people in the Highlands and Islands are missing out on access to “the basics for everyday life”, according to a major new report on human rights.
The study by the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) was based on 146 interviews carried out in 20 communities, including Caithness.
It identified problems across healthcare and a range of other needs and came up with recommendations to help ensure human rights obligations are met.
The report – Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Highlands and Islands – runs to more than 130 pages.
Professor Angela O’Hagan, the SHRC chairperson, said: “The commission is very concerned about the poor state of economic, social and cultural rights in the Highlands and Islands.
“Too many people in the Highlands and Islands are hungry, homeless without access to healthcare, and the basics for everyday life.
“With this work, we are piloting a new way of monitoring – one that brings the commission closer to communities and enhances their voices and struggles.
“While we continue to develop this way of working, we expect that all duty-bearers will reflect carefully on the evidence found in this report, and the action now required from them to meet their human rights obligations.”
The report found that mothers in Caithness and Sutherland feel “unsafe” and “terrified” about travelling to Inverness to give birth. It also pointed out that centralisation of services had led to more than 14,000 patients a year from the far north travelling to Inverness for healthcare.
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Human rights report says far north mums are ‘terrified’ about journeys to Inverness
The report states: “Of particular concern is the provision of maternity care and gynaecological services in Caithness and Sutherland.
“In 2016, a decision was made to downgrade the maternity provision at Wick hospital, requiring women to travel to Inverness for care.
“This raised concerns about the centralisation of healthcare services to Inverness, meaning that more than 14,000 patients per year now have to travel there for routine, emergent and acute cases, with no risk assessments for patient safety.
“The current situation requires women in labour to travel up to four hours to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, often relying on public transport if private transport is unavailable. For those in most areas of Sutherland, no public transport is available.
“Women surveyed by human rights defenders reported feeling unsafe, terrified by the journey due to night-time travel, the possibility of giving birth en route, adverse weather conditions, and the presence of deer on the roads.
“As a result, some women are choosing not to have more children or are moving out of the area to avoid giving birth at Raigmore. Additionally, in cases of premature birth, mothers are sometimes sent to Aberdeen, Glasgow or Edinburgh, as Inverness lacks sufficient beds.
“According to testimonies, some women have lost their fertility due to delays in accessing Raigmore Hospital in emergencies, with reported cases of ovarian torsion and haemorrhage.
“Human rights defenders in Caithness have pointed to the midwife-led maternity care model used in Orkney, where 80 per cent of patients give birth with a midwife, and have questioned why NHS Highland cannot implement a similar model in their area.
“Centralisation has also meant that babies requiring treatment for conditions like jaundice now have to travel to Inverness. Other services, including blood diagnostics, hip checks and hearing tests for babies, are no longer provided in Wick and must be accessed in Inverness.”
The report adds: “Many people expressed frustration to the commission about feeling unheard by authorities and that their dignity was not respected in the delivery of health services.
“This concern was particularly evident among women in Caithness and Sutherland, where there is a lack of sufficient support for maternity and gynaecological services.”
