Belford Hospital, locally known as The Belford, is a rural general hospital

Rural general hospital

The rural general hospital is a concept unique to the National Health Service in Scotland. A rural general hospital is a small hospital, similar to a district general hospital, that serves an area which is remote and rural, generally with a small population which would otherwise have a long or...

 in Fort William, Lochaber

Lochaber

District of Lochaber 1975 to 1996Highland council area shown as one of the council areas of ScotlandLochaber is one of the 16 ward management areas of the Highland Council of Scotland and one of eight former local government districts of the two-tier Highland region...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It is run by NHS Highland and Argyll.

The Belford provides secondary care to a local population of around 20 000, which can swell up to 60 000 during the summer. Currently, there are Consultant

Consultant (medicine)

In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...

-led general medical and general surgical

General surgery

General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical specialty that focuses on abdominal organs, e.g., intestines including esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland . They also deal with diseases involving the skin, breast, soft...

 services. A satellite surgical service is also provided in the Mackinnon Memorial Hospital

Mackinnon Memorial Hospital

The Mackinnon Memorial Hospital, also known as Broadford Hospital, is intermediate between a rural general hospital and community hospital, located in the village of Broadford on the Isle of Skye. It is run by NHS Highland and Argyll...

 in Broadford

Broadford, Skye

Broadford , together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lying on the SW corner of Broadford Bay, on the A87 between Portree and the Skye Bridge....

 on Skye

Skye

Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...

 by surgeons from the Belford.

The emergency department

Emergency department

An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...

 is one of the busiest in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, and sees a significant amount of trauma

Physical trauma

Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...

due to the outdoor activities offered in the Lochaber region.

External links

• Belford Hospital — NHS Highland and Argyll website