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Fears housing crisis on Skye is now affecting health services

The main hospital is only working at half its capacity. Picture by Sandy McCook.
The main hospital is only working at half its capacity. Picture by Sandy McCook.

A former paramedic has said government must step in to halt a decline in health services on Skye amidst a housing crisis.

Neil Campbell, chairman of Portree and Braes Community Council,  said the island was facing a health crisis due to lack of rental accommodation for potential staff members.

He said the lack of houses is beginning to impact on essential services.

Portree Hospital.

Mr Campbell is calling for people to give up rooms and have houses to rent to help professionals and essential workers come to the island.

Speaking on Monday’s Good Morning Scotland on BBC Radio Scotland, he said Skye had never faced a housing shortage like the one it has now.

Major problem for Skye

He said: “I don’t think it has ever been this difficult. One of the major problems is a lack of essential workers, and that is caused by not being able to get houses here

“One of the reasons, is that houses are being snapped up for rental like Airbnb.

“They are able to pay higher prices. ”

Last week we reported there were 1,700 vacancies on the Isle of Skye.

Mr Campbell said people working in the hospitality industry on the island were relatively well paid in comparison with other areas of Scotland.

But he said even people on higher salaries were unable to get onto the property ladder.

This was because of how quickly houses were bought and sold on the island for holiday rentals.

He continued: “I don’t know how we are going to get out of it. It is a major problem. We are going to need our political representatives, from local councilors to MSPs and our MP to get a change in the law.

“You used to have a couple of rooms in your  house as a bed and breakfast and now it is whole houses.

“We have to get some of these houses back into the rental system.”

Time for specific houses for NHS workers on Skye?

Outlining the impact that a lack of staff members are having on local healthcare, he said: “Our local urgent care centre is closed in Portree. Basically the local hospital in Broadford, 27 miles away, is half capacity as we can not get staff to operate those places.

“The new hospital in Broadford was opened in March and there are still only 12 beds being used there, as there are no staff.

“Ambulances are now away from the island to take people to Raigmore in Inverness.

“There is no urgent care in north Skye now.

Portree. Photo by Sandy McCook/DC Thomson

“It is maybe time for NHS workers housing. Even if people could rent for six months or a year ahead it would help ease the problem.”

Mr Campbell said an increase in the length of the tourist season meant the problem is year round.

A spokesman for NHS Highland said: “We are committed to ensuring effective service provision for the whole of Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross and are actively recruiting to posts across the area.

“Finding suitable accommodation for staff across Skye, Lochalsh and south west Ross is extremely challenging and has an impact on the staffing pressures we are experiencing.

“We are doing everything we can to improve the staffing situation, and we are extremely grateful to the local communities and local housing association for their support in helping us with accommodation for staff.

“We will continue to proactively work on housing solutions with the Highland Council and others to meet the needs of new staff coming to the area.”

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