Workshop Helps Shape Future Of Health And Social Care In Caithness

21st March 2023

Senior NHS Highland officials and clinical experts have met in Wick to discuss the development of the major redesign of health and social care services across Caithness which will include two new Community hubs and Care Villages in Wick and Thurso.

The "cross-checking" workshop gave leaders of the range of departments involved the opportunity to present and review their visions for services that will be delivered.

The event was attended by NHS Highland Chief Executive, Pam Dudek, and a number of other senior NHS Highland executives, as well as Ron Gunn, chair of community-led healthcare improvement group CHAT.

Sites in the Noss area of Wick and at the Dunbar Hospital in Thurso have been chosen as the locations for the new Community Hubs, which will be a key part of wider proposals to redesign, modernise and improve health and social care services in the area.

The workshop was independently facilitated by Hub North Scotland.

Graham McCorkindale, of Hub North Scotland said: “We were delighted to support the Clinical Workshop in Wick alongside colleagues from NHS Highland. Our input was led by Norman Sutherland who is not only a renowned healthcare planner but is a native of Caithness.

“The workshop was an important milestone in the development of the clinical brief for the redesign of health and care services across Caithness. It was great for each discipline to explain their work to date and for the constructive challenge that ensued.

“By undertaking this exercise, we will be able to work with NHS Highland to ensure that all aspects of the service redesign are fully coordinated. It was also great to meet in person so many of the NHS Highland team and to receive a warm welcome from all the team and the local community. We look forward to continuing to work with our NHS Highland colleagues to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people of Caithness.”

Christian Nicolson, NHS Highland's Caithness District Manager, added: “This was a very useful event that brought all the various disciplines involved in delivering health and social care together to help shape the future of their services in the area.

“The planned Community Hubs are just one element of a much wider programme of transformational service change seeking to fundamental redesign how we deliver adult health and social care services for people living in Caithness.”