A Skye teacher who nearly died waiting for emergency help says an apology from the first minister is welcome – but must now be backed by action for islanders.
Eilidh Beaton, 27, used five Epi-pens to stay alive when she went into anaphylactic shock after attending a music festival in Portree.
Mr Swinney said sorry to her publicly on Thursday during First Minister’s Questions in parliament and admitted the island’s emergency care scandal should never have been allowed to get so bad.
Eilidh told us she was “thankful” for Mr Swinney’s apology but demands urgent action.
She was unable to go to Portree Community Hospital at night because it was closed out of hours due to long-running staffing problems.
In a separate incident at the Skye festival, a woman named Heather Aird died.
‘Frustrating’
Eilidh said: “It took a tragedy before they said they would do something. That’s the frustrating part.
“Campaigners have been saying for years there would be a tragedy, and that’s exactly what happened.”
But she is more hopeful the government will get its act together following the attention her case has received.
She said: “We have heard it all before, but we haven’t heard it in parliament before. Fingers crossed action will happen.
“I was thankful for John Swinney’s apology. But he came out with the same excuses again about staffing.”
Skye residents, including Eilidh, have been campaigning for a round-the-clock service.
But this has been hampered by a lack of ambulances on the island.
There are currently only two available, with one based in Portree and the other at Broadford Hospital, which is around 40 miles away.
“It is completely baffling that they think it’s acceptable,” Eilidh told us.
Mr Swinney said it was a “matter of deep concern” that the Skye hospital is not operating overnight for emergencies.
This was recommended in a major independent report six years ago.
SNP health chief Neil Gray is looking for an “urgent” fix to the crisis.
Eilidh said it was “surreal” to watch her personal ordeal become the focus of First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
Douglas Ross grilled Mr Swinney over the scandal, then Lib Dem leader Alex-Hamilton quizzed him on it as well.
She said: “They said it was going to be brought up, but I didn’t expect it to be a big thing.”
Eilidh criticised past decisions which have resulted in the staffing crisis in Portree, such as selling off accommodation previously used by nurses.
She told us: “They sold them all off to make money. It’s been short-sighted.”
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