hospital ferry journeys

[Berserker]

Did you know there is no way to get an ambulance stretcher up to the boat?

 

Both lifts at both terminals are too small.

That's certainly not true for Lerwick. One of the lifts was designed for and has often taken stretchers. Can't say i've even seen the lifts in other terminals but i'd be amazed if they weren't the same.

[Rasmie]

They do not take stretchers on the scheduled flights anyhow. Passengers must be able to use a normal seat. Anyone needing a stretcher will go by the ambulance flight from Tingwall

[Frances144]

I was told they could not bring a stretcher to meet the boat at Aberdeen.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

How they voted:

Kathleen Carolan, Director of Nursing & Acute Services: Against

Edna Mary Watson, Chair of ACF: Against

Malcolm Bell, Non Executive Director and Vice Chair: Against

Cecil Eunson; Local Authority Member: Against

Ian Sandilands; Chair of Area Partnership Forum: Abstained

Ian Kinniburgh, Chair: In favour

Tom Morton, Non Executive Director: In favour

Colin Marsland, Director of Finance: In favour

Marjorie Williamson, Non Executive Director: In favour

Lorraine Hall, Director of Human Resources & Support Services: In favour

Ralph Roberts, Chief Executive: In favour

 

However, the NHS Shetland website shows Dr Roger Diggle as being a board member (when I last looked, it would appear the website is out of date). He was absent from the meeting. I do not know if he is still a board member.

 

It saddens me that this proposal was discussed at a steering group back in January 2017 - where was the feedback from the alleged patient/public involvement steering group to us about this?

In the press it is reported that this goes live from 1 April 2017 yet now NHS Shetland are saying it won't start until a plan is in place - so how come they appear to have already revised the patient travel claims form as at March 2017?
 

What would people like to happen now? A meeting to discuss the way forward? A demonstration? What? pm me if interested.
 

[menkeeeaneahi]

the scots snp government hold the purse strings here and are behind this, just remember that when the nats get their referendum and the next elections.

[George.]

the scots snp government hold the purse strings here and are behind this, just remember that when the nats get their referendum and the next elections.

 

That will be the Scottish government that the SNP are a minority part of.

 

Yawn.

[Berserker]

What's stretchers got do do with it? People that are that ill will fly.

NHS patients will travel by ferry unless they are children, in the 3rd tremester of pregnancy, or travelling for cancer treatment. By default most NHS patients will already be ill and at higher risk of their condition worsening on an overnight ferry journey than your average Joe Bloggs. That could easily require a situation where they require to be taken off by stretcher or airlifted. May not happen routinely but given the number of patients travelling it's bound to happen given time.

[Frances144]

I was not ill, like dangerously ill, I just could barely walk, could not sit at all and could only lie down. Life was very tough and I needed an urgent MRI at Woodend.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

 

the scots snp government hold the purse strings here and are behind this, just remember that when the nats get their referendum and the next elections.

 

That will be the Scottish government that the SNP are a minority part of.

 

Yawn.

 

Northlink - Scot. Gov. contract.

 

Loganair - Scot. Gov. contract/owned.

 

NHS Shetland - has air and travel fares negotiated by the NHS Scotland procurement arm.  This is despite the fact that in the past, NHS Shetland basically said here's our patient travel bill and NHS Scotland sent the cheque.  That system was phased out gradually between 2013 - 2015.  It's only been in the last few weeks NHS Shetland got given their budget for 2016/2017 and travel allowance using a nationwide formula, no doubt, is already included within it.  However ...

 

... where is any announcement as to the new price Loganair will charge the NHS?  Could that be because it hasn't yet been negotiated with NHS Scotland?

 

If it's coming out of NHS Shetland budget, why can't they negotiate direct?

 

The list of exemptions is NOT fixed because it hasn't been decided yet.  This would add to a GP's workload, different budget but still NHS Shetland, if patients have to get a note from their GPs.  The press reported this would start 1 April yet NHS Shetland say it won't, despite the fact they've already changed the patient travel claims form.  At this shambolic rate, they could end up with a list of exemptions which would basically result in the same number of people travelling by air yet being forced to jump through hoops to get it - some vulnerable people won't want to make a fuss; people deserve and are entitled to be treated with respect.

 

The figures don't add up.  If it's 5,000 cases during the year 2015/2016 and a saving from £27 upwards, that's NOT taking into account those already travelling by boat.  Read the NHS report for yourselves if you don't believe me.

 

Add into the mix that the HITS (Highlands & Islands Travel Scheme) states that they have to offer the most cost effective route of travel ... yet in another NHS Scotland publication it states that no one will have to pay more than £10 towards travel.

 

Petitions alone are not enough, that's why above I suggested a public meeting.  

 

 

 

 

[tirvaluk]

 

What's stretchers got do do with it? People that are that ill will fly.

NHS patients will travel by ferry unless they are children, in the 3rd tremester of pregnancy, or travelling for cancer treatment. By default most NHS patients will already be ill and at higher risk of their condition worsening on an overnight ferry journey than your average Joe Bloggs. That could easily require a situation where they require to be taken off by stretcher or airlifted. May not happen routinely but given the number of patients travelling it's bound to happen given time.

 

You must know more than the health board Berserker. They said each patient would be assessed on capability to fly. This was one of the arguments ,that it put more pressure on the doctors. 

[Berserker]

Those are the groups Ian Kinniburgh stated would be exempt from the ferry. Given that travel is arranged on the strength of getting an appointment letter for Aberdeen and it can take upwards of a month to see a GP in Lerwick, I don't hold out much hope of being able to see anyone to assess your most suitable method of travel. Most of the patient travel I have done in the past was done with hardly any input from medical staff in Shetland and Aberdeen professionals had hardly any knowledge of the patient travel system. Forgive me if I don't have much faith in these proposals. 

[Berserker]

Here is the quote lifted from the NHS Shetland statement " Air travel will continue to be supported and paid for by the Board if patients fall into exempt categories determined by local clinicians."

 

What I did is list the categories they have determined to be exempt so it's not a case of me knowing more than the Health Board, just repeating what they said.

[George.]

 

Loganair - Scot. Gov. contract/owned.

 

 

Loganair is not owned by the Scottish government. It is owned by Airline Investments Ltd.

[Suffererof1crankymofo]

 

 

Loganair - Scot. Gov. contract/owned.

 

 

Loganair is not owned by the Scottish government. It is owned by Airline Investments Ltd.

 

My apologies; either way, NHS Scotland has a contract with them.

[George.]

Would certainly be beneficial for the population of Shetland if NHS Shetland were to have full control over transport facilities that are required by Shetlands people. While NHS Scotland may do their best, they are not in touch with "Our" reality.