Swinney says emergency care on Skye 'not good enough'

The first minister has said the availability of emergency care on Skye is "not good enough" in a wake of two medical incidents on the island at the weekend.

A 49-year-old woman died after becoming unwell and another woman, Eilidh Beaton, was helped by coastguard and RNLI volunteers after she suffered a severe allergic reaction.

Ms Beaton is said to have become ill just a few hundred yards from Portree Community Hospital, but it was closed at the time.

In 2018, a review by Dr Sir Lewis Ritchie recommended the out-of-hours service at the facility should be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The two women had been attending Portree's Skye Live music festival.

Ms Beaton became ill after leaving the festival site to meet friends.

Some of those who went to her aid tried to get help at the hospital, but could not get a response by banging on the locked doors.

The incident was raised by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross at first minister's questions.

Mr Ross said Ms Beaton had told him: "A local coastguard officer offered to carry me to the hospital but we were told there was no point because it was closed so I would be left lying outside."

Mr Swinney told MSPs: "I agree with Mr Ross, this should never have happened.

"I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of the individual who lost their life, and I want to say to Eilidh directly I am sorry for the terrifying experience that she had on Saturday night."

Mr Swinney said it was a "matter of deep concern to the government" that the community hospital is not open 24/7 despite the recommendations in the report six years ago.

He said there was a three-year period where the hospital was open overnight, but that had since changed because of staffing issues, which the first minister accepted was "not good enough".

He added: "The health secretary has spoken to the leadership of NHS Highland in order to make it clear we want that to happen at the earliest opportunity."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton also pressed the first minister on the difficulties Ms Beaton faced getting care.

He said the emergency care system in Skye had "collapsed" over the weekend, and that Ms Beaton had suffered a "life-threatening" anaphylactic shock "virtually on the door step of Portree Hospital".

Mr Cole-Hamilton said lifeboat volunteers had been "hammering on the doors" of the facility while "her boyfriend literally threw rocks at the windows of the hospital".

He asked: "Why has it take six years, and a near fatality, for this government to finally lift the phone of NHS Highland about emergency care on Skye?"

Ms Beaton told BBC Naidheachdan she had struggled to breath during her ordeal.

Oxygen was retrieved from an RNLI lifeboat, which was anchored in the nearby bay, and was used to relieve her symptoms until an ambulance arrived 45 minutes later.

There had been a problem finding an oxygen mask and one was eventually sourced from Portree hospital.

Ms Beaton has been among islanders who have campaigned for improved services.

In a statement on Thursday she said: “The report has been on the table for six years saying we need 24-hour, urgent care.

"They keep making these promises but delivering no action, making the same excuses.”

Portree Community Hospital is available for urgent care non-emergency care by appointment from 08:30 to 19:30 at weekends.

NHS Highland said emergency care was available by contacting 999, and the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) responded to Saturday's two incidents.

On Wednesday, the health board said there were staff in the hospital caring for inpatients, and they had provided an oxygen mask to a member of the public as soon as they became aware of the request for one.

It said the hospital was locked for safety and security during out-of-hours and said overnight staff were not in a position to provide urgent care.

A spokeswoman said NHS Highland would be liaising with SAS as part of its investigations of what happened at the weekend, and "take forward any learning for both organisations."

On Monday, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said she was "hugely concerned" by reports that emergency access to Portree hospital was limited on Saturday.

Ms Forbes, who is the local MSP, said she had asked NHS Highland to investigate medical provision in north Skye, and had raised the weekend's incident with SAS and Health Secretary Neil Gray.

Last month, about 100 people joined a protest in Portree organised by Skye SOS ahead of a meeting between campaigners and NHS Highland to discuss the state of provision in the north of the island.