Praise from NHS Isles chief and work on hospital’s oxygen supplies

The islands have six confirmed cases of the virus.

In his latest video posted to social media yesterday (Wednesday evening) the health authority boss described islanders as “doing really well” in their efforts to comply with the rules.

He said: “Our numbers are still relatively low and have been stable for a number of days.

Why is that? Well it is definitely, partly, because you are sticking to the rules, definitely because you are practising social distancing, so you are doing really well, however that can also definitely change in an instant if we change our compliance with the rules.

“So please keep it up, it is undoubtedly having an impact on the experience we are having here. We are several weeks behind the UK experience and several weeks behind the mainland Scotland experience, so please let’s keep it like that.

I’m very grateful for the efforts you are putting in and I know how difficult it is, but it is making a huge difference to what we are currently experiencing.”

He went on to describe the continuing preparation work at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway to enable it to cope with a future rise in cases, if that should happen.

“As far as our work to prepare this is still ongoing at Western Isles Hospital,” Mr Jamieson, explained: “particularly and importantly, to increase the oxygen supply to the hospital itself - it is a well designed hospital and has a good oxygen supply - but we are undertaking work to double the supply to the hospital in preparation for when things may change.”

“I’m grateful to all the staff for their efforts, all the people who are doing the work and planning to get the stuff we need from different parts of the country.

“Everybody is working really hard - so thank you to them and thank you to you for staying with it, please continue to do that.”

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