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When the Scottish Government announced a freeze on NHS capital projects earlier this year, the message was clear: no new spending, no exceptions.

Yet in Fort William, the long‑awaited replacement for Belford Hospital is pressing ahead — despite the ban.

The decision has ignited debate not only about healthcare priorities, but also about political optics, fairness, and trust.

The Belford Hospital Story
A rural lifeline: Belford Hospital has served Lochaber for decades, but its facilities are outdated and overstretched. Campaigners have fought for years to secure a modern replacement.

The new plan: A £160m hospital on the Blàr Mòr site promises upgraded A&E, surgical, and diagnostic services, with completion targeted around 2028.

The freeze: In January 2024, the Scottish Government halted all NHS capital projects not already under construction, citing budget pressures and reduced funding.

The Exception That Raises Eyebrows
Allowed to proceed: Despite the freeze, planning for Belford's replacement has resumed.

Political sensitivity: The hospital sits in the Health Secretary Neil Gray's constituency patch, fuelling accusations of preferential treatment.

Other projects paused: Upgrades at Caithness General and Raigmore maternity services remain on hold, leaving communities frustrated.

Why This Matters
Fairness: Why should Fort William move forward while Wick and Inverness wait?

Trust: A spending ban loses credibility if exceptions are made.

Optics: Even if justified by clinical need, the decision looks politically convenient.

The Bigger Picture
Scotland’s NHS is under immense strain: waiting lists grow, infrastructure crumbles, and boards face impossible choices. The Belford exception highlights the tension between national austerity rules and local healthcare realities. For Fort William, it’s a victory. For the rest of Scotland, it’s a reminder that not all communities are treated equally.

The Belford Hospital replacement is more than a construction project — it’s a symbol of how politics, perception, and policy collide in healthcare. Whether seen as a triumph for rural medicine or a breach of fairness, one thing is certain: the decision to let Belford break the ban will echo far beyond Lochaber.

"If the ban can be broken here, why not everywhere?"

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