Islanders refuse to accept ambulance review plans
ISLANDERS are claiming a review by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) into services on Mull has led them up the garden path.
A meeting of Mull community council was told it only heard about SAS plans to ‘do nothing’ when the Oban Times published the outcome of the review earlier this month.
Council chairman Billy MacClymont said: ‘We have been led up the garden path.
‘ We absolutely, categorically refuse to accept their proposal. There is no mention of the community solution and no costings have been done of it because it seems like someone has already made up their mind. The whole thing has been a sham. At the next meeting we will be challenging the decision and demanding the community is listened to. More than 80 per cent of the community wanted a local solution that was affordable - instead we have no change.’
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: ‘Mull and Iona health care review group confirmed that the process was carried out in a robust and objective manner. The options appraisal assessed all the options against the following four criteria: non-financial benefits, risk, affordability and value for money.
‘The outcome of the process identified that no short-listed option met all the relevant criteria to allow a preferred option to be identified.
‘As a result of the process, however, a number of elements were identified that may allow an alternative integrated model to be implemented which would provide an enhanced response.’