Poverty In Rural Scotland: Evidence Review - And CHAT Meeting With Health Minister Today

15th August 2022

Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) is meeting the Health minister Humza Yousaf today in Wick to discuss the maternity situation and other health related matters. Over the years centralisation of health services to Raigmore has in creased the burdens both financially and socially on many families in the north.

The birth rate for babies born in Caithness has plunged since 2016 with most babies being born in Raigmore, Inverness over 100 miles away. The cost of travel for mums and families is often a considerable burden for those on low income. The rates given by NHS Highland are nowhere near enough to cover the cost making life even more difficult in the north.

A report by Scottish Government published on 1December 2022 shows how the problem hits rural areas like Caithness.

The report highlights the cost of travel as a significant factor over all. For families expecting a bay it can be really serious issue. Indeed CHAT has stories from families saying they will not have any more children even though they would wish to as it is just to difficult.

Further and also serious for the long term population is the fact that some families have left Caithness to have their children elsewhere rather than go through the problems of travel to Raigmore. For some families the birth may just be one journey but for some there may be immediate travel within days if for example the baby has jaundice when treatment is now only available at Raigmore rather than in Caithness as it used to be. For some the travel issue can be up to 600 to 700 miles if 3 trips are required.

CHAT will be bringing these issues and more to the health minister face to face today. Gynae issues and other health issue added to the lesser services within Caithness has had since Caithness and Sutherland health trust was merge into NHS Highland. Increased travel issues have grown.

Read the report HERE

Cost of Living
Summary:
Weekly food, clothing and household goods costs are higher in the islands and remote rural Scotland, compared to urban areas in the UK.

Individuals in remote rural areas pay substantially higher prices for home delivery than individuals in urban areas.

Travel is the greatest source of additional costs for residents of remote rural Scotland and can add over £50 a week to costs for rural households.

Residents in rural Scotland are more likely than those in the rest of Scotland to spend over £100 per month on fuel for their cars.
A third of households in remote rural areas are classed as 'extreme fuel poor', compared to only 12% in accessible rural areas and 11% in the rest of Scotland.

A Scottish Government (2021e) report estimates that the minimum cost of living in remote rural Scotland is between 15% and 30% higher than urban parts of the UK. The research suggests that this is on account of significant additional costs, such as food, clothing, household goods and holidays. The cost of travel, however, was identified as the dominant extra cost. It is likely, therefore, that households in remote rural Scotland require a higher income to attain the same minimum living standard as those living elsewhere in the UK.