Skye campaigners say urgent care assurances “do not go far enough”
Written by MartyM on 28 July 2026
By Jamie McDonald
Concerns over the future of urgent care services on Skye continue, with campaign group SOS-Skye saying it has not received the assurances it was looking for from the Scottish Government.
The group wrote to First Minister John Swinney in April, raising concerns about access to urgent treatment in Portree and the wider community.
“We’re going to keep pushing the Scottish Government and NHS Highland until we see that plan because without it, we can’t have any faith that they are going to keep the hospital open, and provide the 24/7 urgent care we need.” – Fay Thomson, SOS-Skye
A response on behalf of the First Minister, issued by the Scottish Government’s Primary Care Directorate, said NHS Highland “remains committed to 24/7 access to urgent care for the Portree community”.
Portree Community Hospital
The letter said the current model was in line with plans agreed with the Scottish Government in 2024 and recommendations made by Sir Lewis Ritchie’s review into urgent care.
It also highlighted NHS Highland’s recruitment work, including the appointment of additional advanced practitioners and training for nursing staff at Portree Hospital.
The Scottish Government response said patients should contact NHS 24 wherever possible so they can be directed to the right care, while adding that staff at Portree Hospital would respond to people who present themselves unannounced.
However, SOS-Skye says the response repeats previous assurances without addressing concerns about how well the current model is working in practice.
The group’s chair, Fay Thomson, told Radio Skye that campaigners want to see a clear long term plan.
“What we’re hoping for is to see a plan for urgent care and for the future of Portree Hospital. That’s the only way we can assess whether NHS Highland actually has a feasible plan to provide the services we need at the hospital.
“We wrote to Fiona Davies, chief executive of NHS Highland, on 2 July, once more asking for a five to ten year strategic plan to be published and to be made available to the community.
“We’re going to keep pushing the Scottish Government and NHS Highland until we see that plan because without it, we can’t have any faith that they are going to keep the hospital open, and provide the 24/7 urgent care we need.”
NHS Highland has previously acknowledged there is a “legitimate service design issue” around urgent care provision on Skye and said it is reviewing the current model to ensure staff are deployed at times of greatest need.
The Board says activity levels are highest during the daytime, evenings and weekends, with significantly lower activity overnight.
SOS-Skye says residents have heard similar assurances for several years and are looking for more detail about what changes are planned and when they will be delivered.
Radio Skye reached out to NHS Highland for a response. A spokerson said:
“The Urgent Care service at Portree Hospital provides 24/7 access to care from a mix of clinical staff including ANPs and ward staff based at Portree and working in partnership with Broadford hospital colleagues, primary care and Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues as agreed in the Sir Lewis Ritchie final report.
“NHS Highland leaders regularly meet with community representatives as part of the Sir Lewis Ritchie Steering group to share the ongoing developments of the service.
“The public are asked to access urgent care 24 hours a day via the NHS24 111 service to schedule the right response. Appointments may be in Portree or Broadford depending on the level of need or where appropriate be provided at home. Emergency care should be accessed via 999.”
The concerns come ahead of a meeting next week focusing on the future of Home Farm care home, which campaigners say is another key part of the wider discussion around health and social care provision on Skye.
