A 24/7 urgent care model is being launched on Skye after a local teacher almost died amidst an allergic reaction.
Eilidh Beaton, 27, used five epi-pens in a bid to stay alive as she waited nearly an hour for an ambulance.
She broke out in hives and had trouble breathing amidst an anaphylactic shock after dining at pub An Talla Mòr 1820 with her partner Michael Matheson, 24 in May.
Despite their plight, all local ambulances were tasked to incidents, including the death of Heather Aird from Preston at Skye Live Festival.
Her ordeal prompted urgent calls from campaigners for action in restoring vital health services on the island.
Health Secretary Neil Gray echoed their calls, calling for a plan to restore urgent care services.
Urgent Care services to be restored on Skye
Three months on, NHS Highland have announced the launch of a 24/7 urgent care model for Skye.
Patients will be able to access services by appointment only, prompting concerns by local campaigners.
Louise Bussell, NHS Highland’s Nurse Director, said: “The model has been designed to make the best use of resources across our health care system. We will be developing the service over the coming months as we build and develop our teams.
“The place in which care is delivered will vary depending on clinical need but this model provides assurance that people will be able to access all aspects of unscheduled care in a timely way based on the presenting need.
“We are pleased that we have been able to identify a model of care which will ensure 24/7 urgent care for people living in north Skye. This has been a significant piece of work involving colleagues across NHS Highland and the Scottish Ambulance Service, as well as from community groups and local people.
“I want to thank everyone involved for their efforts. We will continue to work closely with our partners to deliver safe, sustainable health and social care services in the area.”
Campaigners fear new 24/7 service is ‘smoke and mirrors’
Concerned campaigners feel the new model is merely “smoke and mirrors” providing no reassurance due to ongoing restrictions on walk-ins.
Neil Campbell, a member of Save our Services said: “The way we are looking at it is its smoke and mirrors. They are saying that we have got 24-hour urgent care and they don’t mention what we have been asking for all the time, which is a walk-in.
“You have to go through NHS 24 first. That’s going to take a minimum of two hours but mostly it takes three to four hours and that’s what people feel really nervous about.
“If they have a genuine emergency up here, what they want to do is to be able to walk into the urgent care centre in Portree, and even though they are not seen straight away, they know they are in a place of safety.”
He added: “Ambulance cover, yes, it is good. They have a long way to go yet as the Sir Lewis Ritchie’s recommendations said they would put an RRB in North Skye and they are now saying they are not going to do that because they don’t think it is necessary. We are not happy with that.
“They say the model is good. Obviously, we are not happy with that model because we nearly had one death in May. We don’t want to wait for another one until everybody gets revitalised again. We are very concerned.”
Anyone requiring urgent care should always call NHS 24 on 111 before attending any of the locations that provide urgent care.
Conversation