Health board challenges ultrasound claims

Western Isles NHS has challenged claims that they do not provide ultrasound scanning services in Uist.

MP Angus Macneil asked the health board to have a sonographer to travel to Uist one day per week to undertake appointments.

Mr MacNeil said: “NHS Western Isles should be taking steps to have a sonographer visit Uist one day per week, to help expectant mothers, who are in need of extra checks.”

The MP highlighted the case of one couple who had difficulties in attending Raigmore Hospital for regular ultra sound scans.

27 March 2015

However, weekly ultrasound scans are carried out every week in Uist, insisted the health board.

A sonographer - who undertakes the scans - from the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway flies to Benbecula on a morning, retuning the same afternoon.

If demand is high, the sonographer stays for two days and carry out full ultrasound lists on both days.

A health board spokesperson said that pregnant women “do on occasion go to the mainland, but they are generally high risk or have chosen to do so.”

She explained: “There are actually four dedicated obstetric (pregnancy) slots per week in Uist and Barra Hospital and often the sonographer will also scan one or two additional obstetric patients who have been added to their list.

“The sonographer also performs seven or eight general ultrasound scans in the morning prior to undertaking the obstetric list in the afternoon.”

The health board said obstetric ultrasound can be a complex and time consuming examination that has to be undertaken within a strict timeframe dictated by the date of the mother’s last menstrual period.

The spokesperson said: “Whilst we endeavour to work to timings dictated by specific dates during the mother’s pregnancy, we cannot accommodate every single patient episode in the one afternoon scanning session.

“In addition, some patients opt to be part of a screening programme which can mean that the date for their screening scan falls outwith the date of the sonographer’s visit to Benbecula.

“The window for performing these scans is very narrow and as a result these patients have travel to Stornoway for their scan. These are the exceptions rather than the rule.”

Mr MacNeil has also written to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, who chose to cut inter-island flights, to again highlight the impact this is having on islanders, particularly people who need to travel for hospital appointments and to ask that inter-island flights are reinstated.