McArthur seeks assurances over air ambulance mistake

Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has written to the chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) expressing his concern that an air ambulance flight, responding to a call out in Orkney, flew instead to Shetland.

As reported in this week’s The Orcadian, the air ambulance, with an incubator on board, was called to the aid of an infant last Friday night but ended up heading to Shetland.

The SAS confirmed this week that the patient was later transferred to Aberdeen and that an investigation is now under way.

Mr McArthur suggested that such an incident, which SAS described as an “extremely unusual occurrence”, risks damaging public confidence and stressed the urgency of finding out what went wrong and ensuring it cannot happen again.

He said: “The importance of the air ambulance service to islanders cannot be overstated.  All too often it can be the difference between life and death.

“Reports that a flight meant to pick up a patient in Orkney can end up in Shetland is therefore deeply concerning.  Fortunately, on this occasion, no harm appears to have come to the young patient involved, but it is imperative that the investigation underway is concluded quickly and any additional safeguards necessary put in place.

“There must be no question of this sort of thing happening again. That is the assurance I have sought and hope to receive from the chief executive of SAS.”