Issued: 17 Aug 2024
A two year project researching the History of Highland Hospitals has rediscovered over 60 institutions in the Highland area through local and national archives, local knowledge and newspapers.
Jim Leslie, along with his son Professor Steve Leslie, a Consultant Cardiologist for NHS Highland, received funding from NHS Highland’s Research and Development Fund and the UHI Centre for History towards carrying out the research which generated interest among medical and historian colleagues alike.
When the idea for the project was first discussed it was hoped to produce a small publication detailing the findings but, just recently, a 200 page report ‘The Hospitals of the Highlands: their origin and development’ has been produced giving a fascinating insight into the history of hospitals in the Highland Region.
Mr Leslie said: “This research project was a dream that became a reality. Rediscovering over 60 institutions and seeing how we learned from them and how it influenced healthcare today has been very rewarding.”
Mr Leslie is now working on a book on the subject and, subject to funding, is keen to produce local booklets for each hospital. A booklet on Raigmore Hospital is already in preparation. However, the research is also continuing as there are still a considerable number of documents that have not been found.
Mr Leslie said: “Despite a lot of help and support from many people we have still to find many annual reports, including all of those for the Seaforth Sanatorium at Maryburgh, the Martin Hospital at Uig and the Mackinnon Memorial at Broadford. There are also many gaps in the records of most other hospitals.”
“If anyone knows of these documents, or of any other records please get in touch.”
A copy of the report can be found in the Library at the Centre for Health Sciences, the Inverness Reference Library and the Highland Council Archive Centre at Bught.
Jim Leslie can be contacted by telephone at 01381 620412 or by email at jim.leslie1@tesco.net.