CHAT Chairman, Ron Gunn, has described the number of patients being transferred by ambulance from Caithness and Sutherland to Inverness, as “Quite alarming”.
A recent Freedom of Information request shows that there were 483 transfers from Caithness in 2019; 399 in 2020; 468 in 2021; 433 in 2022 and 436 in 2023. In Sutherland, the figures were: 954 in 2019; 709 in 2020; 892 in 2021; 805 in 2022 and 794 in 2023.
That is more than one transfer a day from Caithness and more than two a day from Sutherland.
Cllr Matthew Reiss, said the statistics were “extraordinary” and called on the Scottish Government “to do something positive to help” and commented on the fact that having a Caithness ambulance out of the county for several hours was also a concern.
Ron went on to say that he wondered “if there were so many transfers before NHS Highland decided to centralise so many services to Raigmore” and “would the same number of transfers be required if Caithness had better services” .
These are very valid questions, brought into sharp focus by the recent weather events, when the A9 was closed.
Cllr Reiss also said “local MSP, Maree Todd, should “take up the cudgels” and urge the health secretary “to do something positive to help.”
The full story is on the front page of the John O’Groat Journal today, and subscribers can access it via this link:-
Caithness Health Action Team 