Some of you may be aware of proposals put forward to close the A&E service at the Belford hospital in Fort William, and also those of the Lorne hospital in Oban.
If you would like to try and help to persuade the powers that be to reconsider this proposal would you take part in the epetition here
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the geography of the west coat of scotland that will mean that from Fort William the nearest A&E services will be a 70 mile journey by ambulance. From somewhere more remote like Lochaline the distance would be about 100 miles. And these are not major motorways.
Last year when my daughter Eilish was taken to Inverness by ambulance the journey took 2hours 45minutes, a distance of 106 miles. Fortunately she only had a severe stomach bug, and suffered no permanent ill effects from such a journey.
The argument often put forward is that the air ambulance can do it in about 30 minutes. The problem is the are not enough air ambulances to provide proper cover, and in any case cannot operate when the wind is above a force 6.
Just imagine how you would feel if you lived in Birmingham city centre and were told that the nearest A&E for you was going to be Charing Cross hospital in London.
And of course no-one has ever been know to fall off Ben Nevis, or Aanoch Mor and really need A&E services.
Your support would be appreciated.
(Further info can be found here