The Scottish Government “made clear” to NHS Highland that they expect the restoration of 24/7 urgent care at Portree Hospital.
A plan to do exactly that is currently being considered by health secretary Neil Gray. It was submitted last Friday by the health authority in the wake of two medical emergencies that happened as the Skye Live music festival drew to a close on Saturday 11th May. One of those incidents resulted in the death of Preston woman Heather Aird; the other left Skye teacher Eilidh Beaton fighting for life in a Portree pub as a result of an anaphylactic shock.
A spokesman for Mr Gray told the Free Press: “The health secretary met with NHS Highland on 15th May and made clear we expect the board to re-implement 24 hour access to urgent care facilities at Portree urgently – the Scottish Government stands ready to support the board as best we can to ensure that is delivered.
“We have received NHS Highland’s implementation plan and are currently assessing it. Further detail, including our full response will be provided as soon as possible.”
A spokesman for NHS Highland added: “We can confirm our plan was submitted to Scottish Government on 24th May. Once we have their response and have engaged with local staff and stakeholders, we will be able to share more in terms of next steps and timescales.”
NHS Highland have been accused of stalling on the restoration of 24/7 urgent care at Portree Hospital since it was included as a key recommendation in the report produced by Sir Lewis Ritchie in 2018.