Campaigners from SOS-NHS Skye have written a letter to the health secretary calling for the NHS Highland board to be sacked.
In the letter, it claims NHS Highland managers have wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds on meetings, consultations and options appraisals.
At the core of the group’s complaints, is the failure of the health board to implement the Ritchie recommendations.
They were made following an independent external report on the sustainability of out-of-ours care services in Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross in 2018.
It made 15 key recommendations, which included expanding urgent care at Portree Hospital from 8am to 11pm, to 24/7.
But the group says NHS Highland has instead reduced the service to 9am to 6pm on weekends and bank holidays.
They also claim the number of hospital and care beds available on Skye has reduced from over 100 in 2018, to around 55 in May 2023.
NHS Highland argues it has implemented “a number” of the recommendations.
‘Now is the time for those responsible to step down’
The open letter, signed by SOS-NHS Skye chairwoman Fay Thomson reads: “It is surely now time for those responsible to be asked to step down.
“We are desperately concerned that our health and care services will be further eroded if urgent action is not taken to hold NHS Highland to account.
“Far from achieving an enhancement of the services available in 2018, NHS Highland has been responsible for dramatically reducing services.”
NHS Highland ‘not advertising for urgent care staff’
An example of the health board’s failure raised by SOS-NHS Skye, is the failure to hire more nurses.
The group alleges that NHS Highland does not adequately advertise vacant posts,
Its letter stated: “Over the past 5 years, we have observed NHS Highland’s recruitment practices. We can only describe them as pitiful.”
But the group does acknowledge, NHS Highland has faced “unprecedented challenges” in recent years.
However, they say they have watched NHS Highland managers fail to “take up opportunities to overcome these challenges”.
Now they are asking health secretary Michael Matheson to sack the board.
What does NHS Highland and the Scottish Government say?
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “We’re really disappointed that this is the view of the community but acknowledge their concern.
“We have been working together with a wide range of stakeholders including community representatives to ensure services meet local need.
“Our teams have been working really hard to implement the Sir Lewis Ritchie recommendations with a number of these already implemented and well established.
“However, we are committed to and will continue working towards delivering those that remain.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government’s department of NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care said: “The needs of the local community must come first.
“We expect NHS Highland to continue engaging with the recommendations of Sir Lewis Ritchie’s Review, the public and all relevant national and local groups, to ensure that a safe and sustainable service is provided for the local population.”
Conversation