MP says it’s bizarre not to test locally

Concerned oil workers from the islands have contacted Mr MacNeil regarding the situation which means they are being forced to travel to a Tier 4 area to be tested for Covid-19 before going on to an offshore platform.

Mr MacNeil has now written again to Health Secretary Jean Freeman to stress the need for local testing of workers.

He said: “Again I’ve had the spectre of oil workers coming to me regarding this situation.

“It is worse now as they are having to leave the Hebrides to go to what will be Tier four areas for testing to return to oil rigs this month.

“Given the alarm that the Government has raised about the new strain of Covid, surely this means that the Government has to react to minimise the risk that people have of coming into contact with it.

“This is particularly so when we know we have capacity to test in the Hebrides with NHS local testing.

“It would seem sensible to keep people out of harms way. Going to places where Covid is far more prevalent to get tested seems bizarrely daft.

“Testing in the islands would be far a safer and more sensible approach for people going away.

“I’ve written to Jeanne Freeman on this today as well as on November 23. I haven’t had a response yet but I am hoping for a quick response this time given the Government’s concern about the new strain of Covid.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Western Isles commented: “NHS Western Isles is following the Scottish Government’s requirements for testing for the presence of COVID-19 infection, including that of asymptomatic people such as routine planned hospital admissions. The announcement of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport to the Scottish parliament recently, further extends the people who are eligible for testing using a variety of routes and covers those at greatest risk of spreading the virus to the most vulnerable in our communities. We have no plans to extend testing, at this time, beyond those categories.”