WATCH: Extra £400k cash for Caithness ambulances
New ambulance funding after MFR News investigation exposes concerns
Last updated 2nd Feb 2018
A deal's been struck between the North's struggling ambulance service, and NHS Highland which has agreed £400,000 of "new ambulance funding" for Caithness.
The announcement comes after an MFR News investigation exposed concerns about the over-stretched 999-service - with crews falling asleep at the wheel, and families waiting hours for help to arrive.
Our newsroom brought you a series of special reports all of last week, on-air, online, and on social media:
Our Inverness-based reporter Bryan Rutherford lead the work behind the reports, and he broke the news on-air earlier: "This is a £400,000 increase in funding for ambulance provision in Caithness.
"The Scottish Ambulance Service 'will be advertising for new and qualified ambulance staff in the following weeks.'
"The service has thanked the Highland health board for 'reaching this agreement' which suggests that the money, if not fully, is partly coming from the NHS.
"We will be advertising for new and qualified ambulance staff" SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE
"And this is significant because historically, NHS Highland has refused to help fund ambulances which it's increasingly using for non-emergency patient transfers between hospitals - essentially fobbing off the ambulance service by saying: you pay to transport the patients, and we'll pay to treat the patients.
"And of course this development puts NHS Grampian in the spotlight. Will that health board follow NHS Highland's example? There's no doubt that there will be calls for this.
"What stands out the most in this press release, is a quote from Elaine Mead, the Chief Exec of NHS Highland.
"She says: 'The additional investment will mean local people can access specialist care in Raigmore in a timely manner while ensuring there is appropriate ambulance cover in Caithness.'
"Is that an admission that campaigners and whilsteblowers have been right all along about the urgent need for more resources in the area?
"Read into that what you will, but what's certain is that this is a victory for the taxpayer."
"Investment will mean local people can access specialist care in Raigmore in a timely manner while ensuring there is appropriate ambulance cover in Caithness" NHS HIGHLAND
The findings of the MFR News investigation were even heard on the national airwaves after Scotland's Talk In featured the issue on the music and conversation show with Ally Bally, which you can also hear on MFR2.
click hereclick here to listen again.
AMBULANCE SERVICE PRESS RELEASE IN FULL:
Plans to increase ambulance provision in Caithness have been announced by the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Highland.
The investment follows a review showing an increase in inter-hospital tranfers between Caithness General Hospital and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Pauline Howie said, “We are delighted to have agreed significant investment with NHS Highland to increase our resources in Caithness and help ensure patients receive access to the highest possible levels of care.
“This funding complements wider investment across the North of Scotland in response to changing patient needs and access to more specialist health service delivery.
“Working with our staff, community partners and NHS Highland, we identified the need for additional ambulance resources in Caithness, in particular to respond to the growing number of patients whose health care needs mean they require to be transported to Raigmore.
“We will announce the full detail of the resources following further work with local staff and partners and would like to thank NHS Highland for their support in reaching this agreement.”
Milne Weir, General Manager for the Scottish Ambulance Service’s North Division, said, “Our staff are busier than ever and providing excellent care to patients across Caithness.
“This investment is very welcome and we will continue to work with our staff, their representatives and NHS Highland to develop our service in Caithness both in the short term and as we put additional staff in place.
“We will be advertising for new and qualified ambulance staff in the following weeks, with the additional staff going through a period of training following the recruitment process.”
Elaine Mead, Chief Executive for NHS Highland, said, “I am grateful to colleagues for carrying out a review of inter-hospital transfers and for working up this funding proposal.
“The additional investment will mean local people can access specialist care in Raigmore in a timely manner while ensuring there is appropriate ambulance cover in Caithness.
“It is really important that we make the best use of this resource and I welcome input of staff and local stakeholders to support this going forward.”
BELOW: The issue is not confined to the Caithness and Sutherland areas of the Highlands, the situation has also been serious across Moray, and parts of Aberdeenshire...
"Communities came together, they fought, they won. This all started with whisteblowers speaking out" MFR NEWS REPORTER BRYAN RUTHERFORD