There's the first, faltering signs of a resolution to the dispute over NHS Highland’s sudden decision just before Christmas to withdraw our two District Nurses from out-of-hours 999 cover as from the end of January.
Rosie Curtis, Chairman of WACC, explains, “We’ve been talking to Michael Foxley, one of our Highland Councillors, and he emailed us today to tell us that, following discussions with the Chair and Chief Executive of NHS Highland, the status quo will be maintained while substantive discussions take place over the next year within a working group which will include West Ardnamurchan representatives – which is what should have happened in the first place.
“This means that our District Nurses will continue, for the foreseeable future, to provide emergency cover throughout the full 24 hours. This is wonderful news.
“However, while we welcome Dr Foxley’s efforts on our behalf, we are appalled that NHS Highland, who admit that they have made a total mess of managing this proposed change by failing, over the last year, to engage in meaningful discussions with the community, are using Councillor Foxley to do their dirty work for them. Our view is that a senior representative of NHS Highland should have come down here personally and admitted they made a serious mistake, apologised for all the worry it has caused people – particularly those with young families, the old, and people with serious medical conditions – and then explained to us, face-to-face, what they are going to do to sort the situation out. Instead, they’re using Councillor Foxley as a shield to hide behind.
"We shall continue to press for a full investigation of why NHS Highland felt they could get away with treating us like this."
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