Call to grant Inverness coronavirus frontline workers Freedom of the City
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Nurses, doctors and paramedics working at Raigmore Hospital should be granted the Freedom of the City the depute provost has said.
Inverness Depute Provost Bet McAllister also wants care home staff to be appreciated for their heroism in combating Covid-19.
There have been no official talks over recognising the work they are doing in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Decisions over who is granted the area's highest civic honour are taken by Highland Council’s city of Inverness area committee with funding for a civic ceremony provided by the city’s common good fund.
“It would be a good way to use that money – for everybody who is working in this terrible situation,” Councillor McAllister said.
As the battle against the killer bug continues, she felt a decision on her idea could wait.
“I’m convinced the people of Inverness and surrounding area would be delighted to see these people honoured in this way for their courage and commitment.
“The Raigmore doctors and nurses have been coping with virus patients from all over the Highlands, some of whom have not survived, and this has been an enormously stressful time for them.
“I think care home staff, who are particularly vital just now, should also be included.
“It might well be that a freedom ceremony couldn’t take place this year, as the pandemic continues.
“But we should, in due course, give serious consideration to honouring our NHS heroes with our city’s highest award. Given the numbers involved, we might even have to spread the ceremony over several evenings in the town house.
“When the issue eventually comes up for consideration, I’m sure other elected members of the Inverness Area City Committee will have similar thoughts.”
Inverness councillor Ron MacWilliam, who has been critical of the national pandemic strategy and preparedness, agreed a time may come to bestow such honours in recognition of acts of heroism but felt the way to truly honour the people frontline workers was to supply high-quality PPE and pay decent wages.
“Our frontline workers continue to be exposed to unnecessary risks in the workplace with low-quality PPE and care homes haven’t been subject to a thorough strategy to prevent virus entry and transmission,” he said.
“There still isn’t a comprehensive test and contact tracing regime in place in the Highlands.”
Freedom is the highest honour a local authority can grant, it is bestowed on organisations of distinction from the region and is symbolic of the esteem in which the city holds the recipient.
The award is now very much symbolic as, over the years, perks such as grazing rights as well as entitlement to money and privilege, had disappeared by the early 19th century.
Previous recipients of the city’s freedom award have included soldiers from 19th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish Gunners) in March 1999 – the regiment had been planning to hold a parade through Inverness on March 26 but it was unfortunately cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In May 2018, Colin Baillie was given the honour for the wide commitment he had displayed across his lifetime to the wellbeing of the people of the Highlands and, in particular, Inverness – he was known for his contribution to sport and was also the president of the Highland Battalion of the Boys Brigade.
A spokeswoman for NHS Highland said: “We appreciate all the support and displays of kindness that have been shown towards all staff across health and social care during this time.”
Click here for more coronavirus news
