The Albert Halls, Stirling
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KILLIN & DISTRICT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER KILLINKILLIN NEWSNEWS PRICE £1 Issue 84 February 2005 Fire Floods Earthquake High Winds Out-of-Hours What Next? Water water everywhere THE FALLS OF DOCHART INN Feature Menus Valentine’s Day Mothers’ Day February 14th 6th March A night out for Romantics Why not make this a very Our very special menu is special celebration for all not to be missed the family Enjoy our traditional and a tribute that will always intimate setting be remembered Booking Highly Recommended Tel: 01567 820270 Fax: 01567 820159 Email: [email protected] www.thefallsin.co.uk 2 Petition Out-of-Hours Update The petitioner requests that the Scottish Community Councils the caller after three hours Parliament considers resorted to calling 999, and debates the Petition the Scottish whereupon an ambulance implications and Parliament transferred the patient to Stirling shortcomings arising in Royal Infirmary. There are other This petition although submitted instances, which can be rural areas following the by the Chairman of Killin elaborated on verbally, if required, introduction of NHS 24 Community Council, has the always bearing in mind patient services. In particular support of the neighbouring confidentiality. with reference to Community Councils of 3 At the present time an ambulance cover and Strathfillan, St Fillans, arrangement is in place between time scales involved in Lochearnhead, Balquhidder the Health Board and local GPs getting medical Strathyre, and Callander. With whereby out of hours ( OOH) the exception of St Fillans, which cover is still provided by the local assistance to patients in is in the western area of Perth & GPs, however some operators at these areas Kinross Council, all the other the call centre appear to be areas are situated in the rural unaware of this, and on one northwest area of Stirlingshire. occasion they informed a caller that the nearest available Dr on Index Reasons for submitting this call was located at Glasgow. We Across the Globe 31 petition have been told that this Ads Index 28 1 Despite a number of meetings arrangement will cease as from Back to School 21 Brownies 7 with all the agencies involved, it March 31st 2005. The Cartoon 8 is our opinion that no progress is understanding given to us was Christmas and Hogmanay 15 being made in an effort to ensure that from December 2004, the Christmas Cake Cutting 23 Community Futures 7 a safe medical provision in the local GPs would work alongside Computer Corner 22 rural areas. We all feel very paramedics, till March 2005. To Crannog Centre 23 frustrated and discouraged that Crossword 26 date this has not happened, Editorial Comment 6 despite our best endeavours no because there are not sufficient Farming Matters 10 one appears to be listening to the paramedics available to Fire 24 fears we are expressing. It is our Floods 2 implement this arrangement. Golden Wedding 31 honest belief that if the issue is 4 After 31st March, the nearest Gun Club 11 not properly addressed then a OOH Dr on call will be based in Herb Society 20 Hogmanay Fireworks 25 tragedy could occur. We are Stirling, which means a distance Killin Book Club 20 conscious that we are not unique of 50 to 60 miles away from the Killin Community Council 21 in our concerns, we are aware that most outlying areas, and an Killin School 28 Leaflet Day 10 other rural areas in Scotland have average of 40+ miles from the Letters 29 similar problems. centre of the rural area. It is felt Mervyn's Weather 9 2 NHS 24 I have received a that this is not satisfactory, and Mobile Library Times 26 Obituaries 30 number of complaints regarding together with the proposed Out-of-Hours 3 unfortunate experiences which ambulance cover etc, which is Panto 16, 25 members of the public have referred to later in this Raft Race 11 Salmon Season Opening 18 experienced, including one where submission, will be unsafe. There School Paper Collection dates 21 on calling NHS 24 about a person is also now no OOH Nurse/ Sports and Leisure Club 22 with severe stomach pains, they Midwifery service in the area. Strathfillan By The Way 12 Tsunami Survivor 8 were informed that all nurse 5 It should also be pointed out Wedding 31 advisors were engaged, but would that at present Killin GPs are What a January 8 call back when free. After a What's On 27 responsible for dispensing further two phone calls to NHS 24 medication in their area, as the 3 only dispensing chemists are GPs available for any further located at Callander, some calls. With the new system that considerable distance from the will not be the case, a Dr would more remote rural areas. have to attend from Stirling or the 6 Ambulance Service At present one locally based Paramedic if not this has been provided by two otherwise engaged. In the event double-crewed ambulances, one of a Paramedic responding to a based in Callander, and one also call, which subsequently requires double crewed at Killin. hospitalisation, this will result in a The Although the Killin crews were further delay in the time taken to not full time, they were on call get that patient to hospital, as the Out-Of-Hours over the full 24 hours. The new Paramedic will then have to wait proposals are that ambulance staff for an A & E ambulance to arrive Service at Killin will be put on a full time to transport the patient. basis. However this has not 8 Concern has also been Explained improved anything, as we are expressed with regards to OOH Out-of-hours care in Forth Valley informed by the ambulance care for expectant and mothers of is now provided on a partnership service that cover will now young families, bearing in mind basis by NHS Forth Valley and consist of one double-crewed the fact that no nursing or NHS 24. NHS 24 is the new ambulance (A & E) and one rapid midwifery cover is available national clinical telephone health Response Unit (RRU) manned by OOHs. information, advice and referral one paramedic for the whole north service which is now fully west area including Callander. Whilst appreciating the available to the whole population The RRU vehicle is not capable difficulties encountered in of Scotland. of conveying patients. It is our providing a safe and reliable NHS 24 and NHS Forth Valley, considered opinion, that these health service to all, we feel that including GPs, A&E departments proposals are unacceptable, for whatever reason, we are been and Scottish Ambulance Service bearing in mind that around four offered a second class service, representatives, work together to to five thousand people are which I would reiterate we bring you the service. The affected plus a vast geographical believe to be unsafe, and could arrangements also accommodate area. The proposals also mean lead to a tragedy occurring. changes brought about by the new that whereas there were four In light of the foregoing I ask the General Medical Services (GMS) personnel on duty during normal Committee to take steps to have Contract, which allows GPs to opt working hours, this has now been the matter fully discussed in out of the responsibility of reduced to three, hardly an Parliament, with a view to a providing out-of-hours care. This improvement in the service. solution being found, and peoples responsibility now falls to NHS 7 At present, if a local GP calls minds put at rest. Boards across Scotland. out an ambulance, once the It is important that everyone has ambulance leaves the area with safe access to emergency services. the patient, we still have the local It is also important that people MAUREEN H. GAULD & The Killin Gallery Wide Range of Antiques, Fine Art & Curios on Display Craiglea, Main Street, Killin Tel: (01567) 820 475 - Shop 820605 - House 4 know that when they need to see a and immediately necessary care ambulance service, are mobile doctor they will see a doctor. will be provided by a fully trained across the area. Until last year family doctors held and experienced Scottish These new arrangements have a personal responsibility to care Ambulance Service paramedic. been in place for nearly four for their patients for 24 hours a These paramedics are currently months and will continue to day. This had been becoming capable of dealing with all serious develop positively in the months increasingly difficult and over emergencies, in many cases to come. Together with the recent years doctors formed offering treatment which was only enhanced ambulance and groups to share the on-call. previously available in hospitals. paramedic service they are The responsibility of providing an Should they be required to attend working well in the rural areas of on-call service was making a serious emergency they will West Stirlingshire. Some of these general practice a very always be backed up by a regular areas are not quite so distant as unattractive profession leading to A&E ambulance vehicle. the Killin area but with almost ten a shortage of doctors, with In terms of the regular A&E times as many people there has particular difficulties in recruiting Ambulance Service in Killin, the been plenty of capacity to allow and retaining family practitioners number of hours which it is for doctors to make the necessary in the rural areas. In order to available has been increased to visits. Similar arrangements have maintain general practices across improve the responsiveness and been in place in other parts of the UK, change was inevitable. A reliability of the service it Scotland and the UK for a long UK wide new GP contract was delivers.