Tory candidate calls for delivery of elective care centre in Inverness to be speeded up
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Edward Mountain, the Scottish Conservative candidate for Inverness and Nairn, is calling for the construction of the elective care centre in Inverness to be accelerated.
Mr Mountain said the health facility provides a long-term solution to reducing waiting times and the treatment backlog caused by the pandemic.
He referred to the treatment backlog as a "Highland health emergency" with some patients set to wait up to six years for a knee operation.
The centre was first announced by the SNP in 2015 but has faced years of construction delays.
Mr Mountain said: "The long-term answer to reducing waiting times in NHS Highland is completing the construction of the elective care centre in Inverness.
"However, under the SNP, patients have seen this vital health facility face delay after delay.
"Had construction started on the elective care centre during the summer of 2019, as originally planned, the facility would have been ready for patients in August 2021 and the Highlands would now be in a better position to reduce waiting times and the treatment backlog after the pandemic.
"Patients will now have to wait until October 2022 at the earliest before its operational.
"If re-elected, I will ensure there’s no more dither and delay by pressing for the opening of the elective care centre to be accelerated.
"If the construction can be sped up even by two or three months, then hundreds of patients will benefit by receiving treatment sooner."
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