Emergency Action Call On Maternity Crisis

[Bill Fernie]

GIBSDON CALLS FOR EMERGENCY ACTION

SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands Rob Gibson is calling for
emergency action to be taken to keep the Maternity Unit at Caithness General
Hospital Open. He commented on the shock news of the suspension of the Maternity
Unit after the last consultant stepped down today, making it unsafe,
according the Highland Health Board, for mothers to give birth there.
He said "This is very bad news and bodes ill for the future, effectively
what exists now is what the people of Caithness feared, i.e. a maternity
unit that is not consultant led. But this too big a problem for Highlands
Health Board to deal with what is needed is NHS Scotland backing to provide
the resources."
He Continued.......... "In Parliament I asked Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm to think out of the box, in this crisis he has to take action out of the box so as to
restaff Caithness General Hospital maternity service with locum consultants
within the week."
He added..... "Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace will be in Caithness tomorrow I
look forward to hearing what action the Scottish Executive plan on taking to tackle this major problem for the County."

[Mr P Cannop]

FAO Bill fernie

did you see it on north tonight ??