Belford Hospital

DavyBidean said:

Can I ask for the help of the folk who use this forum. Perhaps not the best place but the issue is
important. The Belford Hospital who have treated injured walkers and mountaineers for decades is
under threat. The proposal being that it will loose its acute services,or have them downgraded
from a Consultant led service to GP with alternating acute provision week by week with Oban.
Seriously injured folk would be transfered, possibly by air or ambulance to other hospitals such
as Raigmore. 2 hours more drive - if the roads are ok.

Davy, I've taken the liberty of forwarding your message to the UKClimbing website whch has a large
readership of active climbers. It's a very important issue and thanks for bringing it to our
attention.

--
Ken McCulloch Edinburgh

"DavyBidean" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can I ask for the help of the folk who use this forum. Perhaps not the

best

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place but the issue is important. The Belford Hospital who have treated

injured

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walkers and mountaineers for decades is under threat. The proposal being

that

Quoted message said:

it will loose its acute services,or have them downgraded from a Consultant

led

Quoted message said:

service to GP with alternating acute provision week by week with Oban. Seriously injured folk
would be transfered, possibly by air or ambulance

to

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other hospitals such as Raigmore. 2 hours more drive - if the roads are

ok.

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Very many mountaineers owe a great debt to the A/E, Surgical and Medical & Support staff that
makes this one of the best units in the UK at dealing

with

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trauma, especially related to the mountains. Can I ask you to send a

letter of

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objection to downgrading, and supporting the maintenance of a Consultant

led

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acute service for the sake of the lives of folk who come to enjoy the

mountains

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here, as well as those who live among them.

Write to: Trevor Jones Head of the Scottish Executive Health Department St Andrews House Regent
Road EDINBURGH EH1 3DG

As someone who has picked up many injured and sent them over to the

Belford, I

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can honestly say that had that acute service not been immediately

available on

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the doorstep of the Ben & Buachaille then many would not have survived.

Davy Gunn Glencoe MRT

With the new consultants and junior doctors contracts on working hours it will not be financially
possible to maintain Fort William or Oban hospitals as they stand. For Oban to survive as it stands
the number of consultants would have to triple with the associated pay costs. For many years
doctors have worked far too many hours and at last they have a deal which allows them to work more
civilised hours.

I am married to a Doctor working in the area and I know that whilst services will undoubtedly suffer
for the changes; the lives of the doctors will dramatically improve. Why after all should they work
80+ hrs a week in case one of us (I do climb in summer and winter) falls off.

The only way I can see such hospitals as Oban and Fort William surviving would be to gain revenue
from mountaineers/motorists they treat by recovering the costs through insurance. I can't see that
change happening!

Dave

Dave P <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

This post has brought me out of hibernation! It must be some years since I've actually contributed
to the group. I'm a GP in Fort William and also a "Dave P" so I would be keen to avoid any mis-
attribution of comments that may be read by my colleagues and patients. If any one on the group is
reasonably local, could I remind you all that there is a public consultation meeting being held in
the Nevis Centre, An Aird, Fort William at 8pm on Tuesday 11th November. David Pinney

"David Pinney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Dave P <[email hidden]> wrote in message -"]news:[email hidden]-
berlin.de...

This post has brought me out of hibernation! It must be some years since I've actually contributed
to the group. I'm a GP in Fort William and also

a

Quoted message said:

"Dave P" so I would be keen to avoid any mis-attribution of comments that may be read by my
colleagues and patients. If any one on the group is reasonably local, could I remind you all that
there is a public

consultation

Quoted message said:

meeting being held in the Nevis Centre, An Aird, Fort William at 8pm on Tuesday 11th November.
David Pinney

No confusion intended!

Dave