Another “shocking” ambulance delay has highlighted a continuing crisis, according to a north MSP.
Ambulance chiefs have admitted there was almost an eight-hour delay in sending an ambulance to Caithness General Hospital when a child needed a transfer to Inverness.
Labour MSP Rhoda Grant intervened after the incident was raised by worried constituents.
Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) chief executive Pauline Howie confirmed that the control centre received a call from Caithness General at 1.25pm in December to transfer a child to Inverness. The hospital requested that the child be collected within two hours.
Ms Howe stated in a letter that “due to high demand in the area, this timescale could not be met”, and that the request was upgraded to an emergency, arriving at 9.05pm.
Mrs Grant said she would take up an offer of feedback from a review of the incident.
“I was shocked that it would have taken more than 10 hours for a child to arrive at hospital after an ambulance was called and requested by hospital staff within a couple of hours,” she said.
“Given that Unite union members have voted to start an official dispute over ongoing concerns about the service, this highlights the pressure ambulance staff are under. There needs to be an urgent review on the strain on the emergency service and on patient transport, both of which are vital to remote, rural areas.”
A spokesman for the SAS said: “Transfers from Caithness have been increasing and our staff are working harder than ever. We’re working with staff, staff representatives, NHS Highland and the local community to develop sustainable solutions to changing demand.”
A spokeswoman for pressure group the Caithness Health Action Team said: “Despite repeatedly raising these concerns, there’s an unwillingness among management to admit to the scale of the problem.”