THOUSANDS are expected to attend a protest in the Highlands against a major hospital delay after cuts made by the Scottish Government.
The action will take place in Fort William on Saturday to highlight "how furious" the Lochaber Highland community is at the Scottish Government's announcement to halt funding for several healthcare construction projects in the Highlands.
A replacement for Belford Hospital in Fort William, one of Scotland’s busiest rural hospitals, is among those on hold. The U-turn means that new projects may face up to two years' delay.
READ MORE: Scottish Highland hospital projects paused after major revamp approved
The decision comes after 20 years of community campaigning and nine years of extensive preparation work with NHS Highlands. Groundwork on the Belford Hospital – known for its trauma expertise – has already begun with construction work due to begin next year.
SNP MSP Kate Forbes previously requested a meeting with officials after saying “campaigners have fought tooth and nail”.
Forbes will be among those speaking at the demonstration alongside Scottish Labour MSP Rhoda Grant and Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston.
The Scottish Greens candidate for Inverness, Skye and Wester Ross Peter Newman told The National: “Despite the, frankly heroic, efforts of the staff to provide a first class standard of care, there is little doubt that the building is now substantially beyond its functional working life.
"This latest two-year freeze in spending, is a decision directly tied to Westminster not inflation-proofing capital investment spending.
"We cannot have our new hospital because of the cost of Westminster crisis we are all paying for.
"Whilst there is plenty of blame to go around, it is heartening to see the community turn out to let all decision makers know that Lochaber is not out of mind, even if treated, as out of sight.”
Attendees will gather at the Parade Green and High Street in Fort William with speeches set to take place at 11am. Then, the assembled crowd will march through the town's High Street.
Several leaders of the Belford Action Group will also attend including Dr David Sedgwick, a former NHS surgeon and volunteer medic who trained in Rwanda and previously in Gaza; Community councillors Patricia Jordan and John Gillespie; former Highland Council Lochaber area manager John Hutchison and Dr Michael Foxley, a former GP.
All have volunteered on the campaign to build a new Belford hospital for the last 20+ years.
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