Dave Thompson MSP

MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Dave Thompson is demanding a review of neonatal transfer arrangements in the Highlands.

In recent months, a Lochaber couple had to wait nine hours before a specialist ambulance team transferred their baby to Raigmore Hospital. Currently, the neonatal intensive care team has to travel by road from Dundee or Aberdeen to the Highlands and thereafter to Raigmore.  This means that babies can be waiting between three and nine hours for specialist care.

Mr Thompson is putting pressure on NHS Highland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and the Director of the Neonatal Transport Service by letter to review these arrangements.

Mr Thompson said, “The excessively long wait for emergency neonatal treatment puts the baby’s life at risk and it is completely unacceptable. I have questions that urgently require answers.

“I want to know why existing staff based in the Highlands cannot assist with neonatal transport. I want to know why the air ambulance cannot be used which means that the baby can be reached, and delivered to a hospital, in a quarter of the time. And I want to know why there appears to be complacency in the Scottish Ambulance Service on this issue.

“I will continue to pursue this issue, putting pressure on those who have the power to review and to change the situation, until something is done.”