Redesign Of Caithness Health Services - More Opportunities To Find Out And Have Your Say

5th October 2018

NHS Highland plans to hold drop-in sessions prior to public meetings about the health and social care service consultation proposals to be held in Wick and Thurso next month.

There are two public meeting planned in November. One on Tuesday 6th November in Wick, in the Assembly Rooms and one on Thursday 8th November, at the Assembly Hall, Thurso High School.

Both meetings start at 7pm, but drop-in events at the same venues will begin earlier at 5pm.

NHS Highland Quality Improvement Lead, Christian Nicolson, said: "The drop-in sessions are a response to feedback received that members of the public would welcome opportunities to have 1:1 discussions and more time to look at the plans.

"So we decided to set up the drop-in sessions so they could do just that."

As well as the drop-in sessions before the public meetings, NHS Highland also plans to provide more opportunities for local residents to have 1:1 discussions. This includes creating a temporary ‘High Street presence' by setting up “Pop Up Shops" in both Thurso and Wick.

In Thurso, a week-long drop-in event will be held in the aptly-named ‘Pop Up Shop' outlet on Princes Street, from Monday 22nd October to Saturday 27th October 2018.

A temporary Wick ‘Pop Up Shop’ is planned to be held in the former Graham Beggs store on Whitechapel Road from Monday 29th October to Saturday 3rd November 2018.

Both temporary ‘High Street’ locations will be manned by staff from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday each week, and 11am to 3pm on both Saturdays.

As well as 1:1 discussions, the pop up shops will also feature displays of the future plans and proposals, and the latest information and summary documents about the consultation.

Altogether some 40 events/meetings have been held so far, with plans to hold around another 30+ more during the remainder of the three-month consultation which started on 20th August and runs until 23rd November 2018.

Christian said: “As well as these new drop-in events before the public meetings and “pop up shops’, a number of other meetings were requested following the public meeting at the Thurso High School on Monday 1st October.”

Following on from the Thurso meeting, the next public meeting to feature a panel of senior doctors and nurses taking questions will be held at the Assembly Rooms Thursday 11th October starting at 7pm.

For more information, or to request further meetings and/or further information, contact Mrs Christian Nicolson via email on Christian.nicolson@nhs.net or 07870 513114

For further information on the Caithness Consultation go to -

http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/News/PublicConsultation/CaithnessRedesign/Pages/Consultation2018.aspx