Portree nurses in place by end of year, says Gray

Neil Gray has updated MSPs following a visit to Portree in August

Health Secretary Neil Gray has told MSPs that NHS Highland has successfully filled vacancies at Skye's Portree Hospital.

There has been a row over the provision of 24/7 urgent non-emergency care in the north of Skye.

Mr Gray, who visited Portree in August, said more advanced nurse practitioners would be in their posts by the end of the year, and a new team leader for urgent care at Portree and Broadford was appointed on 8 September.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mr Gray said he understood islanders' frustration around some services.

Mr Gray said NHS Highland was committed to rebuilding trust with communities in the north of Skye, and added that the Scottish government would support the health board in its work.

He said the health board was making improvements at Portree in line with an independent report published seven years ago.

But he said the Covid pandemic "stalled" that progress and for some services "reversed" any improvements that had been made.

MSPs heard that over the course of last month 6,000 leaflets were delivered to households on Skye providing information on how different health services on the island could be accessed, including via NHS24.

Last month, Mr Gray said issues around staff recruitment and retention had caused some inconsistencies and gaps in services at Portree.

Campaign group Skye SOS said at the time that further improvements were needed, including patients being able to turn up at the hospital and not have to call NHS 24 first.

Two emergency incidents in Portree in May last year put a spotlight on islanders' concerns about health services in north Skye.

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 become ill just a few hundred yards from Portree Community Hospital, but it was closed at the time.

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.

Though both incidents were medical emergencies, campaigners said it highlighted a lack of progress in meeting recommended improvements in urgent non-emergency care at the community hospital.