An expert group scrapped plans for service cutbacks

Belford Hospital in Fort William and the Lorn and Islands District General Hospital in Oban have instead been urged to work more closely together.

The move follows the health minister's decision to save the closure-threatened Queen Mother's Hospital in Glasgow.

Proposals to centralise both emergency and complex surgery departments in the north and west sparked local protests.

An independent report previously recommended that the hospitals either merge, or be downgraded to carry out day surgery only.

More co-operation

But when a fifth of the population of Fort William turned out in protest at the plans for the Belford alone, health chiefs put the decision on hold.

The West Highland Health Solutions Group, consisting of representatives of those for and against the original plans, believe they have come up with an alternative solution.

The report shows that by working together the two hospitals have a positive future, which can only be good news for the people of the west Highlands Baroness Michie

The group, led by Baroness Michie, said the populations served by both hospitals should be viewed as one and argued there should be more co-operation between them.

It is believed this could include consultants operating at both hospitals and sharing an emergency night rota between Fort William and Oban.

Baroness Michie said: "The communities have shown how important it is to them to have local health services.

"The report shows that by working together the two hospitals have a positive future, which can only be good news for the people of the west Highlands."

Council 'delighted'

Highland Council's Olwyn Macdonald said it was "delighted" with the recommendations of the report.

"To maintain and keep these hospitals is essential for the local people and the rural community," she said.

"Injured hillwalkers are often taken to the Belford Hospital for emergency operations before being transferred elsewhere.

"If we did not have 24-hour cover then we could speaking about the potential loss of lives."

Lorn and Islands Hospital will retain its services

The report, and its recommendations, will now be passed to the boards of NHS Highland and NHS Argyll and Clyde for their consideration.

On Thursday, Malcolm Chisholm stepped in to the row over the Queen Mother's Maternity Unit in Glasgow.

It will now stay open for a further five years until a large new hospital is built.

However, he stressed on Friday that the decision did not mean that every protest would succeed.

"It is quite wrong to draw blanket conclusions from it," he said.