Replace Raigmore petition signed by more than 200 people in two days according to Conservative MSP
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A PETITION calling for a replacement to the main hospital in the Highlands has gathered more than 200 signatures since its launch on Monday.
MSP Edward Mountain said the public petition he launched calling for a brand new hospital to replace Raigmore is seeing growing public support.
The campaign comes as both the First Minister Humza Yousaf and the cabinet secretary for health Michael Matheson recognised the need for Raigmore to have a full refurbishment or replacement in the coming years.
The conservative MP said: “The First Minister knows very well that Raigmore requires a replacement – he stated that just two months ago.
“I believe that as more and more people sign the petition then the First Minister can be swayed into supporting a replacement for Raigmore.
“We know the Scottish Government will soon be considering which new hospitals to build from 2025 onwards and Raigmore must be a top priority.
“It will be if enough people sign the petition, because then we can say to the government: the people of the Highlands want it and you’ve got to deliver.
“If you are unable to sign the petition online then please feel free to visit my Regional Office in Inverness, where my staff will be happy to help people sign the petition in person.”
Kirsteen Campbell, chair of the North Highland Women’s Wellness Hub, also backed calls for a brand new hospital, saying that a new hospital is desperately needed in the Highlands.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We have invested £48million in NHS Highland’s National Treatment Centre which opened on the Inverness campus last month. It will help reduce waiting times for patients undergoing orthopaedic and ophthalmology procedures such as hip replacements and cataract surgery.
“This follows Scottish Government investment of over £40 million in two community hospitals in Badenoch and Strathspey and Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross which both opened last year.
“We continue to work closely with NHS Highland to identify the best way forward for health infrastructure in the area.”
The petition can be signed online by following this link.
