Rhoda Grant

The SNP Government has hammered Highlands and Islands councils with cuts to their budgets, putting lifeline services at risk.

New figures from the independent Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Spice) show that between 2013-14 and 2018-19, local authorities’ budgets were cut per person in real terms.

For the Western Isles Council it was £572 per person; Highland came in at £176; Moray £93; Orkney £90; Shetland £414 and Argyll and Bute £299.

Across Scotland, council budgets were slashed by £810million in real terms during the period.

Scottish Labour says the cuts have put lifeline services at risk and show the SNP has not only failed to stand up to Tory austerity, it has turbo-charged it on councils

Highland and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant said:

“The SNP has hammered Highland Council with year after year of cuts. These cuts have put lifeline services like schools and social care at risk.

“More than £800million has been stripped from councils in real terms in recent years.

“Instead of using Scotland’s powers to stand up to the Tories, the SNP government has used Holyrood as a conveyer belt for cuts.

“And we know these cuts have been made amid the government sitting on almost half a billion pounds of unspent cash.

“It’s time for Finance Secretary Derek Mackay to listen to Scottish Labour and use this money to properly fund local services.

https://digitalpublications.parliament.scot/ResearchBriefings/Report/2019/7/2/Local-government-finance–facts-and-figures-2013-14-to-2019-20

 

 

An MSP is renewing her call for a full risk assessment to be carried out on the methods of transporting pregnant women to hospital from Caithness to Inverness after receiving an edited version of an investigation into the birth of twin babies, born 50 miles apart.

In February, Rhoda Grant, who represents the Highlands and Islands, asked the First Minister why the air ambulance was not initially called when a Caithness mother went into labour at 30 weeks with twins.

Mrs Grant has now received of ‘precis’ of a report into a Significant Adverse Event Review of the case from the new NHS Highland Chief Executive, Iain Stewart.

In his letter, Mr Stewart says: “It is important to point out that the air ambulance helicopter is a highly unsuitable environment for the delivery of a baby.”

Mrs Grant says: “His answer begs the question – what is a suitable environment for pregnant women to be airlifted to hospital in an emergency and why was the helicopter called twice in this case if it was so unsuitable?

“Also, Mr Stewart’s letter only has a passing reference to Specialist Transport and Retrieval (SCOTSTAR), a national service that provides safe transfer for some of the sickest patients within NHS Scotland. The clinical teams are called in to transport patients, from babies through to children and adults by road and air. The expert teams include doctors, nurses and paramedics.

“Why was SCOTSTAR not called in? There are many questions unanswered in this edited version of the review and, while I see the need for patient confidentiality, it does not give me confidence that a similar incident will not happen again. There must be a full risk assessment carried out on what transport can be used and when and what craft is suitable for airlift in emergencies with pregnant women.”

Mr Stewart stresses that the care teams involved in the birth “behaved appropriately and professionally and that the proper procedures were followed in the best interests of the mother and her babies”.

Mrs Grant said: “I must congratulate all the staff working on the front-line in this case. They had a difficult job and did their very best for the mother and her babies.”

Previously, at First Minister’s Questions, Mrs Grant told Nicola Sturgeon the woman had bravely shared her experience of giving birth under the current maternity provisions in Caithness.

After going to Caithness General Hospital, the mother was informed that she would have to go to Inverness by road ambulance, over a 100 miles away and two and half hour drive

Mrs Grant told the First Minister: “Half way into that journey they had to stop at a community hospital at Golspie when the first twin was born breech.

“The air ambulance was then tasked but because it would take two hours to arrive the first twin would be sent by road to Inverness.

“The helicopter could not land, another air ambulance was tasked but this would take too long therefore a second ambulance resumed the journey to Inverness where the second twin was born.

“Thankfully after prolonged stay in hospital all are now doing well.

“However, it begs the question why was the air ambulance or emergency retrieval team not tasked initially airlifting the mum from Caithness.

“Will the First Minister investigate this and will she make sure that the air ambulance treats situations like this as a priority?”

Nicola Sturgeon promised to investigate and conveyed her good wishes to the family. She said she could not answer immediately as to why the air ambulance was not initially tasked, and did not have information in the chamber, and but she asked the Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, to look into this.

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Note for editors: Posting on Caithness Health Action Team’s Facebook site:

Caithness Health Action Team – CHAT

14 February at 21:30 ·

What’s it going to take for NHS Highland to change things? Where is this going to end?

While at my work in November 2018 my waters broke and I started labour. I never expected labour as I was only 30 weeks pregnant with my twins. A few hours later we made our way through to Caithness General Hospital. I was taken good care of by the midwives in Wick while they decided on what to do next.
I was in Wick for a couple of hours and was informed I would have to go to Inverness by ambulance. I was put in the ambulance with two midwives. The ambulance crew took an incubator as well. There was no panic and everyone seemed very calm. My partner followed in the car.
We made our way to Inverness. Contractions came stronger and closer so the midwife checked me to which they weren’t concerned. About 10/15mins later I had an urge to push. We stopped outside Golspie for the midwives to do a second check. It was decided we must stop at Golspie hospital. The midwives informed my partner and we made our way into Golspie.
Minutes later we arrived and I was wheeled into a very small room with a number of staff inside. Shortly after arrival about 10.30pm twin 1 was born breech. He was being looked after by doctors and nurses very soon after birth.
Thankfully twin 2 was in no rush to appear.
A TV with a video link to Inverness was wheeled into the room with a number of staff on the screen. They used this link to consult with Inverness to decide on what to do next.
I was informed a helicopter was being sent out but wouldn’t be arriving till sometime later. So they sent up two nurses and a doctor by police car from Inverness to look after twin one.
We were told that a helicopter was coming but then it couldn’t land due to frost on the propellers so it had to go back down the line. They would have been able to send another helicopter but this would have been many hours later.
There was a lot of confusion, questions and lack of decisions being made on what was the best option going forward. It was eventually decided we should make our way to Inverness by ambulance.
About 2am we left for Inverness by convoy, 2 ambulances, one with me and two midwives and other with twin one and two nurses, a police car and two other cars with Drs and my partner.
When we arrived in Inverness to our surprise the Inverness midwives took over and the Wick midwives involvement was finished.
I was induced and twin 2 was born head down. He was taken to SCBU along with his brother.
We spent 6 weeks in Inverness until the twins grew strong enough. I was provided with accommodation for the full 6 weeks.
We now have many appointments in Raigmore due to no-one being able to do checks up here. Why is this?
I am expected to drive two newborns to Inverness for an appointment lasting a couple of minutes.

We all have nothing but the greatest of praise for all staff involved but often think what if something went wrong while on the A9 or even in Golspie hospital.
All parties involved did the best they could with the situation. They made us feel very comfortable and safe in their hands.

My delivery should never have happened the way it did. It could had gone so wrong.
We would like to know,
Why weren’t we flown to Inverness?
Why could specialists not come up to Wick?
Why are Wick and Golspie staff expected to work like that?
Golspie wasn’t prepared for such an emergency but they did what they could and they did amazing. This shouldn’t be the case.
We know of another birth which took place in Golspie in 2017 and wonder if anything has been learned or changed from that.
We dread to think what could have happened if the road was closed by an accident or bad weather.
There is an investigation into our incident but we are unsure if the results will be made public.

Following the announcement that Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, has ordered NHS Western Isles to set up a working group on funding for patient escorts, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, said that the region’s travel scheme should be reintroduced to solve the problem.

“While I welcome the working group being set up, this problem was caused by the Scottish Government no longer meeting travel costs over and above the NHS Budget, while at the same time cutting budgets,” she said.

“This has meant that NHS boards look to making savings and sadly this has had a terrible effect on patients travelling for treatment. Many are very worried about what lies ahead and may be travelling to receive a diagnosis.

“Doctors often tell patients to take someone with them in order that they can better recall what they are being told.

“This comes at a price for island patients and needs to be addressed.  The working group needs to find a solution, but I also think the Cabinet Secretary should reintroduce and fund the Highlands and Islands travel scheme and that would solve the problem.”

Ms Freeman told Mrs Grant she has asked that the working group have patient group representatives. Ms Freeman also wants to group to report back to her by mid-July.

Mrs Grant previously took up concerns from constituents and the Western Isles Cancer Care Initiative.

The cancer care group is pressing for automatic entitlement to an escort for anyone attending a mainland appointment for a life changing diagnosis, also for any patient going to a mainland appointment for their initial treatment plan and that specialist nurses involved directly with a patient’s care (Macmillan, MS, Dementia) should be able to recommend approval of escorts whilst patients are in their care, rather than being referred through the medical director.

Funicular Railway, Cairngorm
cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Peter S – geograph.org.uk/p/1975585

Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has raised questions in Holyrood about Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Natural Retreats over the operation of Cairngorm Mountain.

Mrs Grant raised a Topical Question today (Tuesday) asking the Scottish Government what action it was taking regarding its dealings with HIE and the company, in the light of a special investigation by the BBC.

She also pushed for the community to take over the running of the mountain to save the local economy.

“Cairngorm Mountain is crucial to the economy of Badenoch and Strathspey,” Mrs Grant, who represents the Highlands and Islands, told MSPs.

“The community there have been expressing concerns for some time about the management of the Mountain by Natural Retreats and the flow of money in and out of the Cairngorm.

“As this is a complicated web involving a public body and its interaction with private companies, can the Cabinet Secretary tell me what financial checks were made of both Natural Retreats and Natural Assets Investments Ltd before they gained the management contact and while it was running?

She went on the ask Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing :

“Were Cairngorm Mountain Ltd in breach of contract when they went into receivership?  If so could HIE have cancelled the contract rather than have to pay the receiver to take it back into ownership?

“Given the community’s desire to own this asset, will the Scottish Government now look a transferring it to them, while ensuring that all monies owing to HIE and the Government are recouped from Natural Retreats?”

Mrs Grant’s questions came against a background of a number of constituents and organisations who were concerned about the running of Cairngorm, especially in the light of Natural Retreats going into administration in November last year, weeks after the funicular was closed due to safety fears.

“However, questions were being asked about the private company and its apparent lack of investment long before it went into administration,” said Mrs Grant following her question in Parliament.

“The complexity of the financial situation made it very difficult to discover exactly what was happening with the flow or money.

“This is not only a question about what happened to get the mountain into this state, but what happens now and what investment can be given to the community which has plans to improve the hill for the future.

“Cairngorm is crucial for the economy of this jewel in the crown of the Highlands and crucial for all those who live and work there.”

In his reply Mr Ewing told Mrs Grant that he had asked HIE for a full account of the situation and will be meeting with them.

He agreed that Cairngorm was extremely important for Badenoch and Strathspey but also for the whole of the Scottish sports industry and he was “well aware” of questions being asked by the media and others in the community.

On the issue of any breach of contract and if public money could be paid back, Mr Ewing said these were “perfectly reasonable questions”, but stressed these were legal questions and it would be imprudent to answer off the cuff.

He said the questions were matters of concern to the public and of considerable public interest.

• The infrastructure of the mountain, the lifts and railway, are owned by the public, under the wing of HIE. In 2014 Natural Retreats took it over the running of Cairngorm. The BBC investigation highlighted that the company was then sold to Natural Assets Investments Limited – a company with many of the same directors as Natural Retreats. Natural Retreats had the lease to operate the mountain – but the assets had been transferred to the wider group.

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Note to editors:

The Topical question:

Rhoda Grant S5T-01570

2. To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent BBC investigation, what action it is taking regarding its dealings with Natural Retreats and CairnGorm Mountain Limited.

 

Highlands & Islands Regional MSP, Rhoda Grant, has strived for many years to persuade the local Authority and the Government to expedite improvements to either the existing Stromeferry Bypass or to build another road. Her driver was always to make the route safer for all road users, particularly the children who travel the route twice a day from and to Lochcarron and the surrounding area.  However, after meeting face to face with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson she was left feeling very disappointed.

 

Rhoda said ” I asked for this meeting at the end of last year, as the whole issue of the Stromeferry bypass keeps getting kicked into the long grass and it is an issue that has gone on now for nearly forty years. I doubt very much whether there would be this dragging of feet if the route passed a more urban area down in the central belt.

 

” The fact of the matter is a simple one to understand. Highland Council have responsibility for this route currently, as it is part of the massive 7000km of road that they have to look after. The Council like all others in Scotland have had to face making drastic cuts thanks to the cuts in funding received from the Government after their budget pact with their bedfellows the Greens. Highland Council cannot afford the funding for the options proposed to address the Stromeferry bypass problem, which amount to somewhere between £70 million and £120million. So they and indeed I, have for some time been asking for Government assistance. I have suggested on more than one occasion that the Government should take over responsibility for this road given it is the gateway to Southwest Ross and the Uists. Highland Council for their part have asked for extra funding because of the geographic nature of the vast area of roads and infrastructure that they have to cover.

 

” The Government have consistently knocked back all proposals and suggestions.

 

” Yesterday, I met with Michael Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and to be frank, I was less than impressed. Put simply, the Cabinet Secretary has absolutely no intention of the Government or Transport Scotland adopting this route as a trunk road and I got the distinct impression that he was washing his hands of any responsibility stating repeatedly to me that this was an issue for Highland Council and they had to deal with it, despite me emphasising that lives were at risk.

 

Rhoda Grant concluded “This whole matter is frustrating. Those in authority keep passing the buck and all the time the people who use this route have to do so knowing it is not safe. What will happen before action to be taken and how long will this issue be allowed to drag on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlands & Islands Regional MSP, Rhoda Grant, who wrote to the Department of Digital Culture Media and Sport condemning the proposal to do away with the free TV licence concession for those over 75,has received a response from Margot James MP the Minister for Digital and Creative Industries.

 

” I am advised by Margot James, that her Department are continuing with this concession until June 2020 at which point the responsibility passes over to the BBC” said Rhoda Grant.

 

” The BBC currently are consulting on this issue and they are not going to make a decision until June 2019″.

 

Rhoda Grant concluded ” As I highlighted in my letter to the Department it is essential that those over 75 have this concession as for many the TV is the only company that they have and is the only means of communication and learning available to them. To have to pay the annual licence fee would further impact on the majority who are living on the bread line anyway. Margot James MP,  advises that the Government expect the BBC to honour it’s commitment and will continue to provide this valued concession to those over 75. That said one thing is for sure, the Government will no longer fund it which would mean drastic cuts to the BBC services to enable them to continue the scheme.

Thurso’s Community Fridge project is receiving the backing of Labour MSP Rhoda Grant who says it’s a ‘cracking’ community scheme.

Mrs Grant, who represents the Highlands and Islands, found out more about the project from Joan Lawrie, of Thurso’s Community Development Trust, when she was in Caithness last week.

The scheme aims to set up a communal fridge in Thurso town centre, open from 8am to 8pm, and available for anyone to take what they need from it.

“This is a great idea which will not only tackle food waste but will also tackle food poverty in the area,” said Mrs Grant.

“Everyone be able to look in and see what’s available in the fridge and take their pick, but it will definitely fill the gap for people who find themselves short of food at a certain time.

“For instance, many families may find the pinch near to pay day or are between jobs and needing a helping hand for a few meals. Also, keen growers may have surpluses from their own gardens at certain times of year and would only be too pleased to donate produce to the fridge.

“I’m a real supporter of this ‘sharing and caring’ initiative and congratulate all the volunteers behind it. I hope to see the result when it is launched later this year.”

Mrs Grant ask to meet Ms Lawrie who explained the thinking behind the project which is also being backed by local supermarkets and smaller food businesses.

The Fridge will fulfil food hygiene regulations with a band of volunteers to run it. When it comes to food waste, the group plans to record how much food is being saved from going to the landfill site. Volunteers also stress that it is in no way stepping on the toes of the Food Bank which does sterling work in Caithness.

Ms Lawrie, a project officer for the trust said: “Since learning about the Community Fridge Network and hearing that 32 Communities across the UK have been able to establish a Community Fridge we have really wanted to bring this to Thurso.

“Not only will the fridge combat food waste and educate regarding waste in our community it will also help those most in need without anyone feeling stigmatised. We’re currently running a Crowdfunder to help with the costs of establishing the fridge which is only £110 away from target. ”
• The organisation is looking for donations for the project at:
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/thurso-community-fridge