Thompson welcomes home care boost in HIghlands
Local MSP Dave Thompson (SNP) has welcomed the news that the Scottish Government is giving NHS Highland £6.1million this year to help reduce the numbers of people waiting to be discharged from hospital.
The money will also be used to support health boards and local authorities deliver good quality care and support for people at home or in a homely setting.
Mr Thompson said: “This £6.1M is in addition to the even bigger sum of £9.4 million awarded to NHS Highland last week.
“Together this is a remarkable injection of funds for the NHS in the Highlands and Islands in the current year, and is in addition to the capital projects progressing on new state of the art Hospitals across my constituency in Badenoch, Skye and Fort William.
“And this from the SNP Scottish Government at a time of unprecedented financial pressure from the Con-Dem UK Government as they continue their misguided economy constraining policy of Austerity come what may.”
The strath’s chronic shortage of carers was highlighted last year by the plight of Nethy Bridge amputee Mrs Debbie Michie, who was forced to spend 364 days in hospital although had been deemed perfectly fit to return home for months.
“The time has come for the private sector and the NHS to work much more closely together,” she said in September after finally returning home following an agreement between the two sectors.
“There has to be a much better system than the one we have at the moment.”
