Maternity unit pleas fall on deaf ears
From ‘The Strathspey and Badenoch Herald’ of Thursday, July 10, 1986.
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to retain maternity facilities at Grantown’s Ian Charles Hospital have failed to win the support of regional councillors.
Despite a strong plea from Cairngorm representative Councillor Sandy Lindsay, colleagues voted 19-13 against the retention of any maternity beds there.
The council is instead recommending the Highland Health Board to retain a bed for lying-in facilities only.
Following a review of maternity facilities throughout the region, the health board decided to axe the three-bed baby unit and allocate it for geriatric use.
Facilities will, however, be retained for emergency confinements, mainly during winter months.
The move has been opposed in Strathspey, where a 700-signature petition was raised, and now the local health council is seeking a meeting with health board officials in an effort to get them to change their minds.
Councillor Lindsay told a regional council meeting: "It is a small community who do require services and jealously guard those they have.
"Grantown people are totally unanimous in their wish to retain a maternity bed in the town. The health service should have a human face and put forward facilities where they are required."
But he was opposed by Councillor Jim MacDonald, who said the health service facilities should be used for the benefit of most people. Grantown figures had intimated over-provision of maternity facilities and a shortage of geriatric beds.
Watchdog raising hackles for MP!
A TELEPHONE watchdog organisation has been likened by a local MP to "buying a rabbit to guard a weasel".
The rap comes from Sir Russell Johnston, Liberal MP, following his meeting with Professor Bryan Carsberg, director general of the Office of Telecommunications.
The Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber MP was taking up constituents’ complaints about the cost of telephone installations for small domestic users.
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Afterwards, Sir Russell said: "Prof Carsberg was constructive and frank, and it seems to me that in terms of his remit, he intends to do all he can to safeguard the consumer.
"However, I have always felt that creating the Office of Telecommunications to watch over British Telecom was like buying a rabbit to guard a weasel."
He added: "The reality is that apart from some protection on kiosks, plus limits on profits related to the rate of inflation, the company is now there primarily to make money.
"This may also make it more efficient – that remains to be seen – but it will also certainly lead to the steady erosion of the social element which existed when it was a public service.
Phew! What a scorcher!
FLAMING June scorched the record books at Grantown, with a new sunshine record being set.
With a total of 16.7 hours sunshine being recorded on June 21 – the longest day – it was the highest figure in the 20 years records have been kept by the town’s weather station. It beat the previous best by 0.2 hours.
After the grim winter, June at last heralded the arrival of summer. Sunshine totals were 64 hours higher than normal, the temperature was 0.2 per cent higher than average, though rainfall was also 5.7mm above the norm.
The highest temperature was 28.0°C on the 27th, while the lowest was -1.2°C on the 12th. Air frost was recorded on three days and ground frost on nine days. The lowest grass minimum was -4.9°C, also on the 12th.
Sunshine totalled 221.9 hours with an average of 7.4 hours a day.
Rainfall totalled 72mm, with the 10th seeing the greatest fall – 31.1mm. It rained on 11 days, snowed on one and there was snow on the mountains on five days. Hail and thunder were also recorded.
Closing the gap at Killiecrankie
THE FINAL link in a multi-million pound road development which has opened up the Highlands and brought particular benefits for the Spey Valley will be completed next month.
With the official opening of a new section of highway at Killiecrankie on August 19, the A9 project will finally come of age.
Begun 14 years ago, it was the biggest road scheme undertaken in Scotland this century.
The reconstruction work, carried out at a cost of £240 million at today’s prices, has more than halved road times between Edinburgh and Inverness, and brought peace and safety to a number of communities, such as Kingussie, Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore.
From Perth in the South to the Cromarty Firth in the North, the 127-mile stretch of the A9 traverses some of Britain’s most rugged terrain.
In the Pass of Drumochter, the road rises to 1,516 feet above sea level, and represented a major feat in civil engineering.
Sharp rise in hill rescue call-outs
PEOPLE assisted by the Royal Air Force’s search and rescue helicopters in the first six months of this year jumped by almost half compared with the corresponding period last year.
The unpredictable weather has frequently tricked amateur climbers and hill walkers by sudden switches from mild sun to driving cold rain or even snow.
The same erratic meteorological conditions have cause rough seas and deterred a number of holiday and part-time sailors from taking their boats out.
Rescue helicopters in the northern half of Great Britain were scrambled by RAF personnel at the Rescue Co-ordination Centre at RAF Pitreavie Castle, near Fife, on 335 occasions between January 1 and June 30 this year.
This figure shows a significant increase over the figure for the corresponding period last year – 289 call-outs – and the number of people assisted leaped from 285 (January-June, 1985) to no less than 414. Incidents involving the use of mountain rescue teams more than doubled, rising from 12 to 31.
The excellent weather in June this year was reflected in the volume of call-outs – 84 – compared with June last year, when there were only 49 call-outs. Those assisted rose from 41 (in June, 1985) to 81 in June this year.
Most of the first six months’ increase is accounted for by those requiring rescue or assistance in Britain’s popular holiday resorts and mountain and hill areas.
Young Ronald swings into action
KINGUSSIE’S young tennis ace, 12-year-old Ronald Ross, has been serving up some winners again this season against some very tough opposition.
His most recent outing was to the Scottish Junior Championship, on grass, at Craiglockhart, where he was seeded eight.
Unfortunately, Ronald was knocked out in the second round but by a boy two years older than himself who had just returned from a special national level training session.
Despite the setback, Ronald went on to reach the final of the first and second round losers’ competition.
The past few weeks have certainly been a busy time for the young tennis player, who reached the semi-final of an under-16s tournament in Rothes and the semi-final of a Scottish Sport For All Scottish Regional tournament.
Ronald is going off to Largs for a training session with the Scottish junior squad, of which he is a member, and then it will be down south to compete by invitation in two English tournaments.
