[Scottish Parliament, 12.06.2025] The serious consequences of failing local health services on remote and island communities are too often not appreciated by central belt politicians.
That's according to Highlands and Islands MSP, Jamie Halcro Johnston, after his request to raise the issue of urgent care in north Skye at today's First Minister's Question was denied by the Scottish Parliament's Presiding Officer.
Just over a year ago, the case of Eilidh Beaton was raised with SNP Leader John Swinney at FMQs, with the First Minister apologising to Ms Beaton for what he described as her "terrifying experience" and, after admitting it wasn't good enough, promising to act.
However, NHS Highland has now admitted to local health campaigners SOS - NHS that the model for urgent care in Portree isn't working, with Mr Halcro Johnston - who met campaigners in Portree this week - submitting a request to Alison Johnstone seeking to raise urgent care concerns at Portree Hospital directly with Mr Swinney.
The Scottish Conservative MSP's question was not called, however he has pledged to keep raising the issue and confirmed that he would be resubmitting the question for next week's FMQs
Mr Halcro Johnston said:
“I met with SOS - NHS campaigners in Portree this week who were understandably angry and frustrated following NHS Highland's admission to them earlier in the day that the current model for delivering urgent care at Portree Hospital wasn't working.
"Too many disturbing cases continue to emerge where promised service levels are not met, and of patients and their families left waiting for help or forced to travel long distances to access treatment elsewhere.
"People have to be able to have confidence that the levels of care they have been promised are being met, and that simply isn't the case. A year on, it appears that, for all the First Minister's promises, little has changed.
“This is a serious issue that deeply affects local residents across the north of Skye, and I had hoped to raise this directly with John Swinney but unfortunately was not selected to speak.
“It highlights a broader issue: that the concerns of rural and island communities – particularly those across the Highlands and Islands region I represent – are often ignored or not given priority that they deserve by decision-makers in Edinburgh.
"Politicians in the Central Belt - who enjoy the luxury of having these facilities on their doorsteps - simply don't understand or appreciate the potentially life-threatening consequences of health gaps in our more remote communities, or how incidents can quickly become very serious.
"I want to make sure that the First Minister - and the Health Secretary - are both fully aware of the failure to deliver the urgent care at Portree he promised only a year".
Mr Halcro Johnston confirmed that he will continue to seek ways of raising the issue with the First Minister directly and would make a further request for a question at First Minister's Questions next week.
