Western Isles healthcare transport action plan

A blueprint has been published today (Friday) recommending actions for making it easier for patients in Uist and Barra to attend critical healthcare appointments at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway and to support travel by clinicians through improved transport links, particularly inter-island air services.

Commissioned by the Western Isles Transport and Health Working Group, the report sets out 17 recommendations. The Working Group partners are now being invited to consider the findings and recommendations ahead of a meeting next month to agree priorities for future action and continued partnership working.

The working group was set up as an action from a meeting led by Cabinet Secretary for Health Neil Gray MSP in August 2024.  Mr Gray travelled to Uist following representations being made to him by the Benbecula Patient Partnership Group regarding the real challenges being faced by Uist patients travelling for health purposes within the Western Isles.  The Working Group has focused on access to healthcare for Uist and Barra (Berneray, North Uist, Baleshare, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay), where access issues are considered to be most challenging.

Significantly upgrading inter-island air travel to accommodate hospital appointments and ensure that clinicians can more readily attend clinics are considered to be priorities.

A recommendation that is already being progressed by Working Group members Hebridean Airways (Airtask) is for them to conduct a trial of operating a larger aircraft on the Benbecula – Stornoway service. This is planned to go ahead between Tuesday and Thursday of next week.  The trial cannot involve paying passengers but it is hoped it will demonstrate the capability and benefits of using an alternative aircraft whose benefits includes increased capacity.

Another recommendation is for the Benbecula – Stornoway air service to operate Monday – Friday, instead of Monday, Tuesday and Friday.   Allowing NHS staff to directly book flights, rather than the requirement to use a travel agent, is seen as another benefit for patients.

The Western Isles Transport and Health Working Group has included representation from:

• HITRANS (who also provided a coordination and secretariat function);
• Patients’ representatives from Uist, Barra & Vatersay;
• NHS Western Isles (NHSWI);
• Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (CnES);
• Airtask;
• Loganair;
• Highlands and Islands Airport Limited;
• CalMac;
• Scottish Ambulance Service;
• Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland;
• Scottish Government Transport to Health team;
• Transport Scotland.

The report states that while on-island travel to healthcare can be a challenge for some patients, it is not the primary concern for most residents as evidence suggests that family/friends provide a solution in the vast majority of cases when required for these shorter journeys.

The report states:  “Instead, it is inter-island transport for which dominant problems arise. Many patients face long, stressful, tiring and uncomfortable journeys. All inter-island journeys require multiple journey legs (typically car/taxi, followed by flight/ferry and another car/taxi journey). Most journey legs involve some element of uncertainty/worry and discomfort, both during travel and whilst waiting for connections. Problems are typically more severe for people with restricted mobility, that have mental wellbeing issues, are in pain, or are in need of regular comfort breaks.

“Journeys home are commonly more challenging than those to the appointment, as the patient may be recovering from treatment, and/or the discharge time may be outwith the patient’s control and not convenient for transport choices. Typical journey options and travel times between Uist and Barra, Western Isles Hospital and Raigmore Hospital are typically a minimum of two hours (from Benbecula to Western Isles Hospital on days when flights are available) to up to nine hours (from Barra to Western Isles Hospital on days when planes don’t operate).

“People with restricted mobility, especially but not only those that are post-surgery, find it difficult to access some transport services. The BN Islander aircraft now in use on the Benbecula – Stornoway route is a particular concern, which has an arrangement of steps, relatively small doorway and seat layout that can be challenging for many people.”

The report also highlights the need for the timing of air services to be reviewed to ensure that clinicians can get the most out of their visits to clinics in the Western Isles.

The full report and the list of recommendations is available https://shorturl.at/tv3pR