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Scottish Registered Charity Number SC010704
Caithness General Hospital
(Information supplied courtesy of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body April 2004)
CGH is located in Caithness and supplies the health service provision for a community living in this remote rural area of Scotland. Wick is some 14 miles from John O'Groats, often mistakenly classed as the northernmost point of the mainland.
It is 108 miles from the nearest urban centre, Inverness. Caithness General Hospital serves a catchment area in Caithness and Sutherland with a total population of around 35,000 people.
The population is largely rural, living in small villages, hamlets or isolated crofts, but also includes the towns of Wick (8500) and Thurso (9000).
Among the features of the local geography of the area includes the largest bogland in Europe and has the lowest population density in western Europe.
There are no dual carriageways in Caithness or Sutherland and the nearest motorway to Wick is 210 miles away.
Range of Services
Caithness General Hospital has an approximate 90 bed capacity which includes;
· 23 general medical and 3 HDU beds
· an 18 bed surgical and 10 bed day case area
· 25 rehab and elderly care beds which includes a 4/5 bed stroke unit and attached Gym and OT department,
· 11 bed maternity unit
· 4 renal dialysis bays.
In addition the hospital facilities include a laboratory, pharmacy, a radiographer run XR and U/S services, an endoscopy suite with theatre and anaesthetics and also palliative care.
Hospital staffing is 3 physicians with general and special interests, 5 SHO's , 3 surgeons and 5 SHO's, 3 obsteticians/gynaecologists,1 OT and assistant, 1 whole time and 1 part time dieticians.
In addition to these services, the hospital also provides outpatient clinics run by consultants for general medicine and surgery, diabetic gynaecology obstetrics and mental illness, usually on a weekly basis, and clinics on a range of other areas usually on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Support services for patients are also provided in physiotherapy, speech and language, occupational therapy, dietetics, and chiropody.
Major surgery is performed at the hospital but there is no intensive care unit. Dentistry which requires general anaesthetic is not performed but done in Inverness.