An SNP candidate has welcomed progress on plans for a new Belford Hospital building in Fort William while warning that more must be done to stop the centralisation of health services across the Highlands.
Next week, Lochaber residents will be invited to a public drop in session at Caol Community Centre to view design proposals for the new facility ahead of their submission for planning permission later this month.
The event will allow residents to put questions directly to members of the NHS Highland Project Team and representatives from Balfour Beatty, Keppie Design, and Horner and MacLennan Landscape Architects.
Eilidh Munro, who is standing to replace Kate Forbes as MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in May, said the progress on the long awaited hospital project is welcome but must be matched by a commitment to local care.
“It’s really encouraging to see these long awaited plans moving forward.
“Kate Forbes, along with local stakeholders, have pushed for years to drive forward the new Belford Hospital building project, and it will be a real asset to patients across Lochaber and the surrounding area.
“I look forward to seeing the new design proposals ahead of their submission.
“Last year, NHS Highland intimated that they hoped construction work would be able to begin in Autumn 2027, and the submission of design proposals later this month marks a significant step forward.
“Across the Highlands, services need to be delivered as locally as possible.
“The national picture is really encouraging, with NHS waiting times down for the seventh month in a row in February, and NHS Highland waiting times for inpatient and outpatient appointments lower than the national average as well.
“However, there have been a number of cuts to the delivery of health services in many communities, particularly since the pandemic, and people are rightly very concerned about this trend.
“For example, Skye residents this week were informed that GPs were no longer going to deliver diabetes care locally, other than yearly diabetes check ups.
“This follows a failure between NHS Highland and GP representatives last year to agree an updated contract for the delivery of this service, with NHS Highland moving the service in house.
“People deserve to be able to access the care they need, when they need it, without hours of travel each way for services which used to be delivered locally.
“I am keenly aware of the long standing structural issues facing health care in the Highlands, particularly with the challenges of staffing recruitment in rural areas, which need to be tackled in conjunction with work on affordable housing, childcare and other essential services.
“However, major capital projects like the new Belford Hospital are hugely positive for local patients, and it’s important that our progress on NHS waiting times is echoed in delivering healthcare services as close to home for patients as possible.”
