The Oban Times

NHS Highland assures all 12 beds at Portree hospital will be open

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Assurances were made by NHS Highland last week that all 12 beds at Portree Community Hospital will be open by May next year.

The news follows the publicatio­n of the Ritchie Report in May, which categorica­lly stated that not only must the hospital remain open, but that services there should be enhanced.

The constituen­cy MSP for Skye, Kate Forbes, welcomed the news. Along with local people, the SOS Skye campaign group and fellow politician­s, Ms Forbes has previously raised concerns about the health board’s repeated closures of out-of hours services in the north of Skye.

The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch said: ‘The Ritchie Review of healthcare provision in north Skye was very clear that improvemen­ts had to be made to make it make healthcare more resilient.

‘I welcomed the report as it gave an independen­t review of healthcare in the north and laid out a series of recommenda­tions for improvemen­ts.

‘Since then, it has been important that we reach milestones to demonstrat­e that the report is being implemente­d.’

She continued: ‘Beds in Portree hospital are perhaps one of the most important developmen­ts for communitie­s in the north of Skye and I am delighted to see this progress.

‘There is, of course, further progress to be made but this will hopefully assure communitie­s in north Skye that the Ritchie Report is being implemente­d.’

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