Accident or emergency? It’s your call on Mull
NHS’s 111 urgent care healthline is not fit for everyone on Mull.
The island’s community council heard wait times to pass on information to a call handler and then wait again to speak to a health professional are causing concern for some residents, especially those living in remoter areas away from Mull & Iona Hospital in Craignure.
Community council convenor Billy McClymont said: “We have an accident and emergency [department] on the island, so if in a situation needing help, you have to ask is it an accident? Or is it, in your eyes, an emergency? Dialling 111 is not for everyone. You have to decide yourself. If it’s an accident or emergency you can ring 999 for an ambulance or you can get in the car and drive to the hospital door. That’s how you get round 111 on Mull.”
“If in doubt, do what you have to do,” he said.
The meeting was told while the 111 system might work on the mainland where hospitals are very busy, it was “flawed” on Mull.
Pam MacColl also told the meeting: “I’ve been told, and I hope it’s not true, staff and families at Bowman Court have to phone 111 if there’s a medical issue. To me that’s ridiculous when all they have to do is walk along the corridor and straight into the hospital to get help. Bowman Court was built there so if they needed hospital assistance it was right there.”
The Oban Times asked Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care partnership for a comment on all the above. A HSCP spokesperson replied: “An A&E Department deals with life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, acute confused state, fits that are not stopping and chest pain. NHS 24 111 service is free to call when you have an urgent healthcare need that isn’t life-threatening. Following a short assessment, NHS 24 will direct or refer people to the right service, at the right time and as close to their homes as possible. The service also advises people where to go out of hours when GP, pharmacy, or dental practices are closed. If there is a danger to life or serious injury the HSCP encourages everyone to dial 999 or go straight to A&E, where our team will be able to provide emergency medical care.”
An out-of-action lift has left residents at Mull’s Bowman Court “trapped” for months, the meeting heard.
The breakdown meant people
‘I’ve been told staff and families at Bowman Court have to phone 111 if there’s a medical issue. To me that’s ridiculous...’
were stranded upstairs in the extra care housing building, right next to Mull & Iona Hospital, while repairs were awaited.
“It’s not acceptable to leave people stranded in that building,” said convener Mr McClymont.
A West Highland Housing Association spokesperson later told The Oban Times: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused to tenants in Bowman Court due to the defective lift at the property.
“We have been in urgent contact with the manufacturers to source the part required to fix it, but due to international supply issues, this has taken longer than anticipated.
“We have updated tenants and their families as things have progressed, and will continue to do so as we work towards a speedy resolution. We have also been providing updates and maintaining contact with NHS colleagues onsite at the Progressive Care Centre.
“We would urge any tenant, family or stakeholder to get in touch if they need further information or support.”
When Bowman Court was built in 2012 with its 12 one-bedroom flats, it was hailed as a progressive care centre so older islanders would not need to go off the island.
A question was also asked at the meeting if criteria for applying for flats at Bowman Court had changed. The CC will now write directly to West Highland Housing Association for clarification. If it has changed, members want to know when and why it was altered.
Mr McClymont said he believed a multi-agency approach was used to allocate flats when they become available but added: “It seems to have fogged over slightly. It’s worth investigating.”
The issue is causing quite a bit of concern among some of the community’s older people, the meeting heard.
However, the WHHA spokesman confirmed with The Oban Times that the criteria for applying for a Bowman Court flat had not changed.
It was decided to invite Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care partnership’s chief officer Fiona Davies, head of adult services Caroline Cherry and Morven McPhillips, who is its local area manager to meet community councillors to discuss the island’s health and social care issues.