Frustration at six year wait for new Lochaber hospital

Campaigner Dr Michael Foxley said Belford Hospital was no longer fit for purpose

Campaigners have expressed frustration that a new hospital has yet to be built in Fort William, six years after a site was purchased for it.

NHS Highland acknowledged that a replacement for the town's Belford Hospital had been "long awaited".

The health board said on Tuesday that it hoped an initial agreement on the building could be reached with the Scottish government in November.

Campaigner Dr Michael Foxley said the six-year wait was disappointing.

Highland Council bought land at Blar Mhor in Fort William for £2m from Tesco in 2015, after the retailer abandoned plans to build a store.

• New hospital planned on Fort William site

• Tesco site bought for new hospital

Working with NHS Highland, the council proposed building a replacement for the ageing Belford Hospital, with other areas of the site available for housing.

Dr Foxley, a former Highland Council leader and who was part of the team involved in acquiring the land, said the Lochaber community was "feeling abandoned" over this issue.

He added: "We are feeling frustrated and disappointed. There are excellent staff at the Belford but it is not fit for purpose."

'Fully committed'

Belford is a busy rural hospital, handling casualties from road accidents and mountaineering incidents. Fort William is close to some of the UK's tallest mountains, including Ben Nevis.

The initial agreement is the first of three documents that NHS Highland must send to the Scottish government to demonstrate a need for the new hospital.

NHS Highland said the document would be submitted in October for consideration at a meeting the following month.

The health board's chief officer, Louise Bussell, said: "I understand that progress has been long-awaited after years of hard work and local commitment to the development.

"Along with the establishment of the project board, this submission will be a significant step in the process and underlines that NHS Highland is fully committed to the construction of a replacement Belford Hospital."