Councillors pressing for the reinstatement of 24-hour emergency NHS cover on Skye have called for urgent talks with Health Secretary Shona Robison.
The island’s four councillors and council leader Margaret Davidson are keen to reinstate the service for Portree and north Skye.
Backed by colleagues in Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, they agreed to approach the minister after consideration of a council motion from SNP Skye member Calum MacLeod and his independent ward colleagues Ronald MacDonald and John Gordon.
It stated that fellow islanders had also expressed “widespread unease about the NHS Highland redesign process, with many key questions remaining unanswered”.
Skye, Lochalsh and south-west Ross are currently served by two hospitals – Dr MacKinnon’s in Broadford and Portree Community Hospital.
As part of a service redesign, the board’s preferred option included co-locating all the inpatient beds in a new hospital to be built in Broadford. Board chiefs have agreed to meet the ward councillors.
NHS Highland chairman David Alston said it had consulted widely.
Of the 2,273 who responded to a survey, more than 80% supported the preferred model of service, he said.
The poll also found that 57% favoured Broadford as the preferred location for a new hospital while 29% backed it being built in Portree.
Mr Alston said the preferred option and the consultation process were also “supported” by the council, the ambulance and fire services, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Highland Hospice.