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hospital ferry journeys


fionajohn
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ill folk are dragged back and forth to aberdeen on a 14 hour sea journey countless times to receive medical treatment

 

convicted criminals and folk on remand are flown back and forth from aberdeen as required

 

both paid for out of the same pot

 

think about that for a minute

 

Goodness, never knew that the police were charging the NHS for criminal transport. If they are, it's criminal.

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ill folk are dragged back and forth to aberdeen on a 14 hour sea journey countless times to receive medical treatment

 

convicted criminals and folk on remand are flown back and forth from aberdeen as required

 

both paid for out of the same pot

 

think about that for a minute

 

Goodness, never knew that the police were charging the NHS for criminal transport. If they are, it's criminal.

 

 

:P

 

its all one goverment spending tax revenue

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I imagine it is because

Orkney doesn't have a daily boat to Aberdeen.

Flights are half the price, it is closer to Aberdeen.

 

They could easily provide an ambulance service from Kirkwall to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. There is also a regular bus service. It does not have the same difficulties that Shetland does but gets flights to hospital.

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Just a quick thought, where will Northlink stick the extra passengers (often at short notice) on the boat in the summer? Because of the size of the boat I just don't know. I have some times phoned 4 weeks in advance and couldn't get a cabin. Looks like it's the floor for the ill!!!!

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It seems from this report that NHS haven't even consulted with Northlink on this.

 

To answer your point though Audi-Ya-Do, i'm sure it was said that if a cabin couldn't be booked that they would fly you, but that then begs the question that will they really save anything like as much as they seem to think doing this? It really does seem as this has not been thought through.

 

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/14261-northlink-no-direct-talks-with-health-board-on-patient-travel

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Just a quick thought, where will Northlink stick the extra passengers (often at short notice) on the boat in the summer? Because of the size of the boat I just don't know. I have some times phoned 4 weeks in advance and couldn't get a cabin. Looks like it's the floor for the ill!!!!

Maybe they will have to reserve(?) more cabins for NHS needs and not sell so many to tour operators.

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It seems from this report that NHS haven't even consulted with Northlink on this.

 

To answer your point though Audi-Ya-Do, i'm sure it was said that if a cabin couldn't be booked that they would fly you, but that then begs the question that will they really save anything like as much as they seem to think doing this? It really does seem as this has not been thought through.

 

http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/14261-northlink-no-direct-talks-with-health-board-on-patient-travel

Who knows what goes on behind the scenes?

 

One of the criticisms is as I think I've already pointed out, the NHS Scotland procurement arm (NSS?) negotiate with and approve suppliers for all NHS boards/trusts within Scotland; therefore, given that Northlink are already an approved supplier and given NHS Scotland do the negotiating, I figure it's a strong possibility that's why there have been no 'direct talks' with the NHS Shetland Board.  For all we know, the manager of Patient Travel might just have picked up the phone or everything might have gone through NSS.

 

So even if NHS Shetland CEO/board members did have chats with suppliers, it could well be the case that any final decisions would be via NSS unless they change things and let NHS Shetland in the future negotiate for themselves with suppliers.

 

I've got a copy of Tavish's letter to the Chair of NHS Shetland, when I've a mo I'll whack it up and if I can't figure out how to attach it, will copy the text.

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Letter from Tavish to Chair of NHS Shetland
 

 

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p464/unlinkedstudent/Letter%20TS%20to%20IK%202103170001_zpswpkugcbg.jpg

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p464/unlinkedstudent/Letter%20TS%20to%20IK%202103170002_zpsrsgtm4nb.jpg

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p464/unlinkedstudent/Letter%20TS%20to%20IK%202103170003_zpseqyeuyv0.jpg

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