Health services for women in Caithness to be reviewed

NHS Highland is reviewing women's health services in Caithness, Health Secretary Humaz Yousaf has said.

Campaigners have been calling for improved provision of obstetrics and gynaecology.

Women in Caithness and parts of Sutherland can face round trips of 210 miles (338km) or more to get to Inverness to access the services.

Members of North Highland Women's Wellbeing Hub (NHWWH) met Mr Yousaf this week.

Women's and Public Health Minister Maree Todd, who is also the local SNP MSP, along with representatives from Scottish government health teams and NHS Highland also attended the meeting.

• Review call for Caithness women's health services

Mr Yousaf said: "We had a very productive meeting, with various concerns raised and discussed.

"As NHS Highland's review of women's services gets under way, the board has committed to engaging with the Hub throughout the process and I will get regular updates as this continues."

NHS Highland said it would be consulting with groups, including NHWWH and Caithness Health Action Team, during the review.

A spokeswoman said: "We are currently undertaking a review of gynaecology services in NHS Highland and as part of this an equality impact assessment will be completed for gynaecology services in Caithness."

NHWWH said a constructive approach to finding solutions was discussed during the meeting.

A spokeswoman said: "All parties listened and took on board our concerns around diagnostics, operations, emergency care, access to care and travel.

"Working closely with NHS Highland we aim to maintain a voice throughout the review of services and any changes planned as a result."

'Increasingly centralised'

For years there have been calls for increased provision of obstetrics and gynaecology, services focused on the care of pregnant women and unborn babies and women's sexual and reproductive health.

In 2016, the maternity unit at Caithness General in Wick was downgraded from consultant-led to midwife-led. Most first-time mothers are sent to Inverness' Raigmore Hospital for births.

NHWWH said gynaecology and sexual health services had become increasingly centralised.

It said emergency gynaecology care and surgical service were not available locally. It also claimed a consultant had only been available 31 weeks of the year in 2021-22 and that 12% of gynaecology procedures were carried out at Caithness General.

The spokeswoman added: "Our aim is to see gynaecology fully returned to Caithness General Hospital, as it was before the obstetrics downgrade in 2016.

"That review was based on obstetrics alone, with no consideration for gynaecology patients and as such, the service was downgraded without consideration of the impact to women in the north."

NHS Highland said it was in regular contact with NHWWH and provided a range of gynaecology services locally.