Orkney mustn’t lose well-proven Islander emergency cover, says McGrigor

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor has said the Scottish Executive mustn’t allow Orkney to lose the security of the Islander aircraft’s emergency cover.

Speaking in a debate in Parliament, the Conservative MSP backed Orkney Convenor Stephen Hagan’s concerns that many people in the isles would feel vulnerable when the current air ambulance provision ends on 31 March, and called for the Loganair-operated aircraft to be retained.

Jamie McGrigor said “This debate was a welcome opportunity to discuss one of the key issues raised with me when I visited Orkney last summer and an issue I raised with the Minister for Health in September.

“In his reply to me, Minister Andy Kerr admitted that there had been some ‘teething troubles’ with the service. I wonder whether the ‘troubles’ he was referring to include the case in which the air ambulance was requested to transfer a patient to hospital with a severed artery - apparently with blood pumping from the wound - but, because the helicopter was on another mission, it was 108 minutes after the original request before the helicopter arrived.

“While I appreciate this might be more exception than rule, it does little to instil confidence in the much-vaunted new level of cover.”

Mr McGrigor then concentrated on response times, calling on the Executive to provide a comparison of the average time for an Islander-based response and the average time for an EC135-based response, from the alert time to the patient's arrival at the destination hospital. He also backed Orkney Islands Council convener Stephen Hagan’s concerns that many people in the isles would feel vulnerable when the new contract starts and that this could have an impact on Council efforts against depopulation.

“Unless action is taken by 31 March, the security that the well-trusted Islander gives Orkney will end. Orkney Islands Council is concerned; politicians from all parties, including the Executive parties, are concerned; doctors are concerned; and, most important, local people in Orkney are concerned.

“The Executive must reconsider its position and allow the retention of the excellent Islander aircraft to ensure that Orkney continues to be covered by its well-proven service”.

McGrigor repeats calls for Islanders to be retained

Ahead of Thursday night’s debate in Parliament on air ambulance cover for Orkney, Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor, who will speak in the debate, has called for the Executive to retain the Loganair-operated Islander aircraft as emergency cover.

Jamie McGrigor said “I welcome Thursday’s debate as the provision of air ambulance cover to the islands was one of the key issues raised during a meeting I held with Orkney Islands Council convenor Stephen Hagan last summer.

“It was an issue I raised with the Health Minister then as there is real feeling that local concerns are not being listened to by the Executive. Communities like Orkney need to be able to have confidence in their emergency health provision and the air ambulance is a crucial part of that.

“Retaining the Islanders on an emergency only basis was estimated to cost around £100,000, a relatively small amount when considered the new contract to run air ambulance cover is costing £70m over 5-7 years.

“The Executive should reconsider its position and retain the Islanders for emergency cover”.

McGrigor welcomes reduced air fares proposal but seeks answers on eligibility

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie McGrigor has welcomed Scottish Executive proposals to bring down air fares to some of Scotland’s remoter communities.

However, the Conservative MSP has warned that the scheme must be properly funded and is seeking answers from Transport Minister Tavish Scott over how the Executive plans to ensure that only those eligible for discounts to flights will receive them.

Mr McGrigor has also sought confirmation that students from eligible areas will get the discount, arguing that there was already an increasing burden on those in further education.

Jamie McGrigor said “I largely welcome the Executive’s announcement of the proposals to subsidise air fares in the Highlands and Islands.
”People in Scotland’s remoter areas have looked on with a mixture of envy and frustration as air fares from Scotland’s major airports to both national and international destinations dropped, while prices on routes within Scotland, and particularly within the Highlands and Islands, have increased.

“However, I want to know how the Executive plan to ensure that only those with a main residence in one of these eligible areas will benefit from the reductions and how much the Executive expect these checks to cost annually. It is important to know whether responsibility for ensuring eligibility will fall on those selling the tickets or on the Executive.

“Also, with the ever-increasing burden on those in further education and student debts mounting, I have asked the Minister to confirm whether students from the eligible areas will benefit from the reductions or if they’ll be forced to pay full fares.

“With the scheme hoped to increase air travel in the Highlands and Islands, the Executive must ensure that the funds they have allocated to deliver the scheme are sufficient and that this does not become just another part-delivered Executive initiative”.

McGrigor anger as Labour play council tax blame game

Responding to today’s news that average band D council tax bills are likely to rise significantly across the Highlands and Islands, MSP Jamie McGrigor said:

“The Labour/Liberal Scottish Executive blames the councils and the councils blame the Executive.

“While Labour and the Liberal Democrats play the blame game, local people are seeing more and more of their income go on paying the ever increasing council tax bill. Yet are we seeing improvements to levels of service?

“So far, all the increases announced are well above the 2.5% level the First Minister claims would be a reasonable increase. If Jack McConnell really wants to see increases kept low then he needs to cut back on his Executive’s ring fencing of local government funding and allow local councils to determine the funding priorities in their areas.

“Until he does this, council tax levels will increase while services are lost and quality standards decrease. This is the legacy of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive - higher council tax bills and less service”.