NHS Western Isles braced for huge upheaval during Loganair shutdown

‘Unimaginable’ impact on hospital appointments from Loganair air services stoppage

5 March 2023

Cancer patients face potential disruption to essential treatment after Loganair announced a six week shutdown of air links between Inverness and the Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland due to industrial action at Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL).

Turmoil to patients and health services is inevitable with NHS Western Isles braced for the "most significant impact that we have experienced in terms of patient services, with the exception of the pandemic."

"Whilst we will do all we can to ensure that the impact on patients is minimised, we have limited options as a health board when the decision has been taken to suspend a lifeline service."

Torcuil Crichton, Labour’s candidate for the Western Isles, highlighted the “knock-on effect on hospital appointments alone is unimaginable.”

Loganair - which is the only commercial passenger airline serving the island routes - maintains it is “forced” to take such drastic measures because work-to-rule measures during a pay dispute will have an unpredictable impact on operating plane services.

Starting on Friday 17 March up to the end of April no plane service will fly from the islands to the Highland capital. The flight suspension risks being extended into May.

The Scottish Government is alarmed over the move with transport minister Jenny Gilruth summoning HIAL chiefs to a meeting yesterday.

Many hundreds of medical appointments for different illnesses are expected to be impacted.

The potential delay to islanders needing cancer scans and treatment at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness is the most worrying.

"Missed appointments can have very serious consequences," stressed Stornoway councillor Angus McCormack.

He said: "These flights are key to the ongoing care of people requiring medical attention and to the many who work offshore.

"Members of the Hebridean Men’s Cancer Support Group for example, rely heavily on this service. Surely these flights must be classed as essential?

"We must have funding from the Scottish Government to ensure that these services continue."

Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, hit out at island communities "being held to ransom" by Loganair.

She criticised the "complete over-reaction" to take away "essential life line services that enable islanders to attend medical appointments, attend family emergencies and meet tight travel deadlines.

"Loganair instead needs to apply pressure on HIAL to get round the negotiating table, rather than on their customers in the islands who are already having to negotiate horrendous transport issues and have no influence in these matters."

Labour candidate, Torcuil Crichton, stated: “The company cannot be allowed to hold the islands hostage in a pay and conditions dispute.

“HIAL is answerable to the Scottish Government and I’ve previously called on Transport Secretary Jenny Gilruth to intervene and broker a settlement.

“HIAL say they can only negotiate within government flexibility on pay, the minister has to come to the table and get these flights back on.”

Logistical changes to provide continuity of health services may see the weekly delivery of chemotherapy drugs switching to the ferry transportation while the health board will take steps to ensure sufficient contingency blood stocks are available it is expected.

NHS Western Isles is assessing the scale of upheaval on patients due to travel off island to Raigmore Hospital.

Also set to be affected could be a schedule of planned clinics at Benbecula and Stornoway hospitals with mainland-based consultants facing longer journeys.

Disruption will be far worse than the impact of last month's three day airport strike when 46 patient appointments for mainland treatment had to be postponed.

Also affected between 21 and 23 February were the rheumatology consultant visit to the Uist and Barra Hospital as well as the urology clinic in Lewis

Oral and maxillofacial surgery appointments were called off that week while dates were changed for islanders to see ophthalmology and respiratory consultants.

In addition, some patients had to spend significantly extended time on the mainland with a number requiring an escort as flights back to the island were not available.

Similar upheaval is set to occur during this week’s three-day airport strike but hittign deeper will be the announced longer six week withdrawal of plane services from later this month.

Loganair’s spokesperson said: “We completely understand that this unprecedented step will be unwelcome news to communities who depend on the air services Loganair provides.

“It’s a step that we are taking with the utmost reluctance and only after careful consideration of all other options.

“We hope that the period of suspension – initially through to 30 April – will provide time and space for the parties to this dispute to meet and reach a resolution, enabling these long-running services to resume thereafter.”

Inglis Lyon, HIAL’s managing director, said: “We apologise for the disruption this will cause for our customers.

"The ongoing industrial action is having a significant impact on our airline partners and the announcement by Loganair to temporarily suspend some flights will cause considerable disruption for our island communities.

“At the meeting with the trade unions we sought, and obtained, clarity on the key elements on their claim in a bid to resolve the dispute.

"The unions appreciate HIAL’s position within the complexities of the wider public sector pay discussions.

"It is vital that we find a mutual solution to resolve this dispute and will now discuss our options within the parameters of public sector pay flexibility with the HIAL board and Transport Scotland.”