A major trauma team that attend some of the most life threatening accidents in the Highlands has had its funding secured.
Based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, the Pre-Immediate Care and Trauma Team (Pict) attends the scenes of major trauma incidents to provide advanced care.
The team had been at risk of losing its funding – but Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain has today said he has it in writing the service is to be supported.
Pict is made up from a team of suitably qualified medics who and extend the capabilities of the Scottish Ambulance Service, for those at risk of losing their life and those who require urgent medical attention.
Serious threat of closure
Earlier this year, Pict had come under serious threat of having its service capabilities reduced from seven days per week to four days, following NHS Highland’s decision to withdraw funding.
In March, NHS Highland then decided to extend the Pict team’s funding for an additional six months to ensure it could operate a seven day a week service until September 2022.
Edward Mountain MSP has been calling for Pict to be provided with long-term support from NHS Highland to ensure the region is not left without an advanced pre-hospital trauma care service for part of the week.
The MSP held constructive talks with the chief executive of NHS Highland during the summer.
In correspondence sent to Edward Mountain MSP, who has campaigned for the service to be saved, the chief executive of NHS Highland, Pam Dudek, said: “I am pleased to confirm that Pict will be supported to be a seven day service. It will be financed by a revenue investment of approximately £100,000 from NHS Highland.
“The service dovetails with the major trauma service, and the taskings come from the Scottish Ambulance Service.”
Edward Mountain said he was “delighted” with the funding decision, and today visited the team, based at Raigmore Hospital.
‘A world-class team’
On his visit the MSP met with Dr Iain Craighead and members of the on-duty team, Dr Adam Archibald and advanced practitioner Jo MacCulloch,
He said: “This is a world-class team and I am delighted that they will be fully supported to operate a seven-day service.
“Pict forms an essential part of major trauma incident planning in the Highlands and the Scottish Regional Trauma Network.”
“We couldn’t afford to downgrade its capabilities as the next closest service is based in Aberdeen.
“So I am pleased that common sense has prevailed and the campaign to save PICT has been successful.”
A NHS Highland spokeswoman said: “The Pict service in NHS Highland provides prehospital care for a range of medical conditions including trauma care.
“This service works alongside and in addition to our nationally networked trauma services, our emergency departments, primary care partners and the Scottish Ambulance Service.
“The Pict service has been extremely successful in providing a high level of trauma care in the prehospital setting and is a valued part of trauma care provision in the Highlands.”
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