West Highland Health Services Project Steering Group public meeting

Fort William Tues Nov 11 2003

A huge turnout of over 2,500 people attended the Nevis Centre on Tues evening to hear the possible options re the future of the Belford Hospital.

The people of Lochaber are obviously aware of the now serious threat to the excellent health services provided by all the current dedicated Belford Hospital staff.

People travelled from far and wide to attend this historic meeting .The main hall in the Nevis Centre was full to capacity with over 1000 people and a further 1000 in the hall out side. Well over 500 people were unable to enter the building.

The atmosphere was tense and expectant as people are genuinely concerned about local services being downgraded.

During the last 18 months the Clinical Options Sub-Group and Steering Group within the Project have been adamant in saying that the Belford status quo is not an option.

We were told that the Clinical Options Sub-Group recommends either

1. Community Hospitals in both Fort William and Oban

2. One major Acute Hospital in one town and a Sub-Acute in the other town.

 The Clinical Options Sub-Group have rejected the proposed Lochaber Medical Community's option of a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, consultant-led acute services provision at Belford Hospital in Fort William.

The local public wants the Lochaber Medical Community's option , championed by four local medical professionals, to be added to the above list already tabled for evaluation and inclusion in public consultation. 

 The Lochaber Option was expounded by Dr Chris Robinson, Mr David Sedgwick and Dr Michael Foxley, and supplemented later by Dr Charles Leeson-Payne.

"The Clinical Options Sub-Group has so far not undertaken an OBJECTIVE study of all the possibilities", was their theme. "With the active backing of the Health Board we believe our proposal can recruit and retain good surgeons, physicians and anaesthetists to Lochaber. But the Steering Group has decided that it will not be on the list of options for public consultation. We ask for the help of the West Highland Health Services Project to embrace our proposal to be assessed with the other options. It is the only way forward to provide a reliable service".

The joint presentation on behalf of the Lochaber Medical Community received tumultuous applause.

Mr Andrew Sim, General Surgeon Stornoway discussed other possibilities including 9am to 9pm pan-Highland and Island cover by the long-established Viking Surgeons Group. However the Clinical Options Sub-Group has not yet even discussed this possibility with the Viking Surgeon Group. Also it must be stressed that this option is only with respect to the provision of surgical services.

 If the turnout at Tuesday nights public meeting at the Nevis Centre in Fort William is any barometer, then the Lochaber Medical Community's option to that effect MUST be taken on board by NHS Highland Health Board.

The huge crowd from all over Lochaber left the top table of West Highland Health Services Project representatives in no doubt as to their demands.

The next stage in the process is the presentation of the Clinical Options Sub-Group preferred options to the NHS Highland Health Board in early December.

 It is vital that we the people of Lochaber have our Lochaber Medical Community's option included in the final options before public consultation goes ahead next year.

A similar public meeting was held in Oban on Wed Nov 12 with a large crowd attending again to voice their concerns for the future of their hospital

What to do next ?

Please write to support our Lochaber Medical Community's option and voice your concerns to

Caroline Thomson, Chairman, Highland NHS Board, Beechwood Park, Inverness.

The two meetings were widely covered in the local press and the relevant articles can be found in following websites, www.lochaber-news.co.uk and  www.obantimes.co.uk

2 Dec 2003   What happened next ?

Caroline Thomson,Chairman, Highland NHS Board  received almost 5000 letters from the people of Lochaber supporting the Lochaber Medical Community Option.

Everybody has warmly welcomed a decision by NHS Highland to rethink plans for future acute hospital services in the Belford Hospital, Fort William William.

As a result of unprecedented representations from throughout Lochaber, the Board has agreed that the next phase of the West Highland Project will bring together a Solutions Group, which will involve key parties to agree the best possible solution for sustainable and affordable acute services for the Belford.

For detail of subsequent events please visit The Belford Action Group pages in this website.