Air contract change will have a "huge effect”

Board members were told of a reduction of up to 40 per-cent of clinics held by visiting consultants as a result, with a “huge knock-on effect” on the availability of clinics in Benbecula and the southern isles, if solutions cannot be found.

These were the main concerns raised at the meeting which discussed the awarding by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, earlier this year of a new four year contract for the Benbecula to Stornoway air route to Hebridean Air Services (HAS).

That contract has meant that a much smaller plane now operates the route than under the previous operator, Loganair, and with the loss of a connected timetable of air services between Inverness and Benbecula via Stornoway.

NHS Western Isles relies on a significant number of consultants from NHS Highland for services who previously travelled to and from the islands to deliver in-person clinics.

NHS Western Isles Director of Finance and Procurement, Debbie Bozkurt, told the Board meeting that the lack of a connecting flight on a Tuesday and Thursday would mean that NHS Western consultants who undertook clinics in the southern isles and travelling down on a Tuesday now cannot get back until the following Friday, posing a threat to more than 700 clinics.

HAS now runs the service with a much smaller plane, offering a capacity of up to 8 seats per flight, and the board was told of concerns that the plane has a number of significant access issues for patients with disabilities, and other mobility issues, and for those with some medical conditions which means that even if seats were available on a service they cannot access the plane, and currently have to find alternative routes to attend clinics in Stornoway.

The Board was also told of concerns over the reliability of air services in the coming winter months with the possibility of the smaller aircraft being more likely to be affected by the weather, resulting in cancellations on return or single legs of the journey, and the impact of cancellations on patients.

Timetable changes with the new service have already resulted in the ENT clinics previously held in Barra being cancelled, the Board heard from Debbie Bozkurt, and that waiting times could be set to increase for a range of appointments as a result of the changes, and that there would be financial implications for the board’s finances if the current issues were not resolved.

Ms Bozkurt said: “NHS Western Isles were not involved in the tender process and nor should we. That is the responsibility of the Comhairle. However, we would have expected to be consulted on the tender like other stakeholders. In relation to the capacity, one area we're worried about in the PSO is that we understand the tender specification for the recent procurement stated the Comhairle will not score on the proposed aircraft capacity. That was a very worrying statement for us."

NHSWI Chief Executive, Gordon Jamieson told the meeting that “it is clear we will not be able to remove or resolve all the problems that have risen.

“There is no doubt that waiting times are at high risk of becoming longer,” he said. “The issue is that waiting times in the Outer Hebrides, relative to most other NHS Board areas, have been very short, and what we might see is considerable lengthening here of waits in some specialties.”

Mr Jamieson added that there was “a limit on how long consultant staff can be away from their base" and added: “Their commitment to come here and work around challenges and put themselves at a level of additional time away, speaks for itself.”

Chair of the Board, Gill McCannon, said that the challenges posed by the changes had “challenged us in ways that I have never seen staff challenged.”

“Patients are at the heart of what we are here for and it is painful to see what has happened and the impact on them, in terms of this service,” she said. “I commend everyone who has been trying to provide workarounds for patients – they have gone above and beyond.”

Board members agreed to a range of recommendations, including working with Caledonian MacBrayne to block book vehicle spaces; continuing discussions with Loganair to discuss the early morning flight from Inverness; undertake an assessment of all clinics to consider where remote clinics can be provided; and to continue to work with NHS Highland on any reasonable changes that can be made.

In a statement Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, confirmed that in the contract Hebridean Air Services had "submitted the only bid that was within the Comhairle’s budget and met the required contract length."Cllr Uisdean Robertson, Chair of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said: “Over the years Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has frequently called for NHS and Transport Scotland collaboration and financial support in the operation of the Stornoway to Benbecula PSO contract.

“At present NHS Western Isles do not contribute anything financially to the service and do not therefore have a formal involvement in the tender process.

"The Comhairle welcomes any change of heart from NHS as to planning and, presumably, supporting the PSO contract."

Cllr Robertson added: “Comhairle nan Eilean Siar would welcome any financial support from NHS Western Isles or Scottish Government which would safeguard the future of the service and open the door to potential service improvements, including improved accessibility, frequency, and the opportunity to reinstate the Barra leg of the PSO."

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