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”.