End the mystery over Oban’s Covid figures Health bosses urged to breakdown case numbers

Health bosses have been urged to provide more information about local Covid figures across Argyll and Bute.

Councillor Kieron Green, the Oban North and Lorn councillor, said he was being contacted by people wanting to know how many cases there are in towns like Oban.

Figures for Argyll and Bute are made available but councillor Green has urged officials at NHS Highland and the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Partnership (HSCP) to provide more localised breakdowns.

Councillor Green is the chairman of a healthcare watchdog for Argyll and Bute – the integration joint board (IJB) of the Argyll and Bute HSCP.

Councillor Kieron Green.

Councillor Green told a meeting with health officials: ‘I know in March and April numbers were quite low and there was strong guidance from the government. Figures could only be broken down by NHS boards and then councils.

‘The situation has moved on quite a bit since then and we have had increased numbers of people testing positive.

‘We have also had situations where we have gone public about this, or information has come out through other means. There was a case in Oban, cases at Hermitage Academy and Lochgilphead Joint Campus, and then most recently in Kilcreggan.

‘I am now getting requests from the public on how many people in Oban, or Lochgilphead, or Campbeltown, are testing positive for Covid-19. Press releases are going out identifying maybe one or two, but there might be five or 10 people in the town.

‘Is it possible for us to break down these numbers a bit more?’

Dr Nicola Schinaia, associate director of public health at the HSCP, said: ‘It is possible to be more open but having said that, I was looking into the possibility of having our reports with information on more specific towns in Argyll and Bute.’

Professor Boyd Robertson, chairman of NHS Highland, said: ‘We are abiding by Scottish Government policy.’

Board member Fiona Broderick said the Scottish Government was working on a new tool to show what was happening in local areas.

Councillor Green said data in England was available in much smaller units.

When The Oban Times asked the Argyll and Bute HSCP to provide figures for the Argyll and Bute area, it was told these could only be released by the Scottish Government.

NHS Highland health officials said on Friday that the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases within the Kilcreggan community outbreak had increased to 27.