3 SEPTEMBER 2026

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Home Farm to remain open after Care Inspectorate signs off improvements

Home Farm Care Home is to stay open after meeting all the required improvements set out by the Care Inspectorate.

NHS Highland confirmed to Radio Skye that the home was subject to an unannounced inspection between 26 and 29 August.

The Care Inspectorate has now confirmed that it is satisfied that the necessary changes have been made and has lifted the Improvement Notice issued earlier this year. A full report from the regulator is expected to follow.

Arlene Johnstone, Chief Officer of the Highland Health and Social Care Partnership, said:

“The Care Inspectorate issued NHS Highland with an extension to the Improvement Notice for Home Farm Care Home in July.

“Since then, NHS Highland has taken extensive action to strengthen leadership, governance, staffing oversight, clinical support and quality assurance within the home. The appointment of an Interim Registered Manager has made a significant contribution to this work, providing strong day-to-day leadership for staff and helping to coordinate improvement activity across the home.

“Following an unannounced inspection between 26 and 29 August, the Care Inspectorate has now confirmed that it is satisfied all required improvements have been met and has lifted the Improvement Notice.

“The Care Inspectorate has advised that a full inspection report will be issued in due course. Once received, we will share the findings with residents, families and other stakeholders.

“I would like to thank residents, families, staff and partner organisations for their patience, support and commitment throughout this period. I would also like to recognise the considerable effort of everyone involved in delivering these improvements and supporting positive change within the home.”

The care home had previously been given an Improvement Notice by the Care Inspectorate following a report earlier this year.

The report highlighted a “toxic workplace culture” and problems with staffing.

Concerns were also raised about the maintenance of the building and the keeping of patient records.

The deadline for the required changes was initially July, but this was later extended to 25 August.

Radio Skye has contacted the Care Inspectorate for comment.

Home Farm’s history

The care home was at the centre of a major Covid outbreak in 2020, during which 11 residents died.

It was subsequently taken over by NHS Highland.

A series of inspections this summer raised concerns locally.

The SOS Skye campaign group held a meeting at the beginning of August to discuss the situation.

There has also been political pressure on NHS Highland throughout the process.

Following the SOS Skye meeting, local MSP Andrew Baxter told Radio Skye he would call for senior NHS Highland resignations if the health board had failed to meet the Care Inspectorate’s requirements.

NHS Highland declined to respond to Mr Baxter’s comments at the time.

Get in touch if you’ve got a story you’d like us to look into. Send a WhatsApp or send an email.

Skye MSP Andrew Baxter told Radio Skye:

“We know on Skye that bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better. Bigger can mean more remote, more out of touch, and more unreceptive.

“I’m concerned this change will lead to further centralisation of health and social care services.”

MSP says NHS Highland bosses should resign if Home Farm deadline slips

Local MSP Andrew Baxter has told Radio Skye he will call for senior NHS Highland resignations if the organisation fails to meet the Care Inspectorate deadline for improvements at Home Farm.

Mr Baxter made the comments following a public meeting held by SOS Skye on Monday night, where the future of the care home and wider health services on Skye were discussed.

The Care Inspectorate has given NHS Highland until 25 August to complete actions required under an Improvement Notice at Home Farm.

Speaking to Radio Skye, Mr Baxter said failure to meet that deadline would raise serious questions about leadership at NHS Highland.

“When the original report came out, I said that NHS Highland had to take this seriously and they had to work night and day in putting that improvement plan in place. They have the opportunity to do that now. The people of Skye expect it, and I certainly do as well and will hold them to account. Heads must role if they are unable to do that.

Andrew Baxter MSP addresses the SOS Skye meeting

Home Farm concerns

The meeting, chaired by Fay Thomson, heard concerns from residents and community members about staffing, recruitment, maintenance and the long term future of Home Farm.

SOS Skye said it had been told that the permanent manager at Home Farm remains off sick, with interim manager Sheena Williamson currently overseeing improvement work.

Home Farm

Audience members raised concerns about reliance on agency staff, recruitment delays and the difficulties of attracting workers to Skye.

One employee at Home Farm who was in attendance said more needed to be done to encourage local people into care roles.

Baxter calls for long-term plan

Mr Baxter said the immediate focus should not just be on meeting the Care Inspectorate deadline, but on ensuring Home Farm has a sustainable future.

“We need to be making those decisions now. We’ve got to think out of the box. We’ve got to persuade NHS Highland not to just go the way they always go. I’m staggered that the local housing association had actually offered accomodation to NHS Highland and it was refused. If that is the case, that is an absoulute scandal and NHS managers need to hang their heads in shame if they refused that perfect opportunity for workers here on the ground. That is something I will be asking the Chief Executive, Fiona Davies about in the next few days.”

Councillor says residents’ care is not the issue

The meeting also heard from Councillor Drew Millar, who recently met Highland Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer Arlene Johnstone alongside Councillor John Finlayson who sent his apologies.

Mr Millar told the meeting he had received reassurance that the care being provided to residents was not the concern.

He said the main challenges related to leadership, recruitment and improvements to the building.

He also addressed concerns within the community that NHS Highland wanted to reduce services or close Home Farm, saying he had been reassured that was not the case.

Mr Millar also said he had been told by Ms Johnstone that had she been invited to the meeting, she would have attended.

Calls for NHS Highland to engage directly with community

SOS Skye chair Fay Thomson said the group would continue pushing for answers from NHS Highland.

She said the organisation plans to invite Arlene Johnstone to a future public meeting and will seek a written plan setting out the intended future of Home Farm over the next five to ten years.

Speaking to Radio Skye, she said:

“It’s not that anybody has ever thought that NHS Highland deliberately wanted to close Home Farm, but there are major worries about the management overall and the fact that things have detoriated to this stage. If a place is effectively managed, that should never happen. There was a lot of concern expressed tonight, quite rightly, about how things have led to this and also what measures have been put in place to see that the managent of Home Farm is sustainable.”

Urgent care

The meeting also heard about urgent care provision at Portree Hospital.

SOS Skye said it remained concerned about cover and called for greater clarity over NHS Highland’s plans.

Vice chair Neil Campbell said there was still disagreement over what “24/7 urgent care” on Skye actually means.

Andrew Baxter said it was one of the first issues he raised after becoming MSP.

NHS Highland response

NHS Highland said Sheena Williamson has been appointed as Interim Registered Care Home Manager at Home Farm and is “responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the service, including oversight of care, staffing, quality improvement activity and compliance with Care Inspectorate requirements.”

The health board said Ms Williamson “has extensive experience in supporting and improving care services and is leading the ongoing improvement programme at Home Farm.”

NHS Highland said senior leaders are providing regular oversight, with Louise Bussell, Nurse Director, Arlene Johnstone, Chief Officer, and Fiona Duncan, Chief Social Work Officer, meeting with the operational team twice weekly “to ensure regular oversight and quick escalation of any barriers that the team are experiencing in moving forward the improvement work.”

On progress against the Care Inspectorate Improvement Notice, NHS Highland said it had carried out “significant work to strengthen governance, record keeping and quality assurance arrangements in the care home.”

“The team has reviewed existing records, audits and action plans to ensure improvement activity is clearly documented, regularly reviewed and supported by appropriate evidence,” it said.

NHS Highland added: “Although there is still work to do, both NHS Highland and the Care Inspectorate have recognised that progress is being made, and we remain fully committed to ensuring that all required improvements are delivered and sustained.”

On staffing, NHS Highland said: “It remains challenging to recruit and retain permanent staff in Home Farm and across the Adult Social Care sector.”

It said that where local recruitment is not sufficient, it works “closely with agencies that provide highly trained staff from across the country” to ensure “safe, person-centred care.”

The health board said it remains committed to promoting recruitment opportunities locally and confirmed it has “recently secured advertising with Radio Skye to promote vacancies at Home Farm and An Acarsaid.”

On maintenance concerns, NHS Highland said: “Regular visits from our Estates team are continuing, with a number of improvement projects underway across the home, including the replacement of fire doors.”

It said this work “supports the requirements of the Improvement Notice” and that it is “focused on delivering all outstanding improvements as quickly as possible.”

Responding to concerns over the future of Home Farm, NHS Highland said: “We remain committed to providing care on Skye and working closely with The Highland Council to ensure local communities help shape how services are planned and delivered.”

It added: “We recognise the challenges we face, and our focus remains on delivering safe, effective care across Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross.”

NHS Highland said it would not be responding to comments from MSP Andrew Baxter regarding calls for members of the senior leadership team to resign if the Care Inspectorate Improvement Notice deadline is missed.

EXCLUSIVE – NHS Highland update on Home Farm

NHS Highland has told families of residents at Home Farm that work is continuing to address concerns raised by the Care Inspectorate, with the deadline for making improvements now set for later this month.

A letter sent to residents and relatives, seen by Radio Skye, confirms changes now have to be made by 25 August 2026.

In the letter, Highland Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, Arlene Johnstone acknowledges that the situation “continues to be an anxious time for residents, families and staff”.

The update outlines a number of areas where NHS Highland says work is underway, including improving record keeping, staff training and recruitment, and maintenance to the building.

Read the letter in full below.

The letter comes ahead of a public meeting in Portree on Monday 3 August to discuss the future of the home. The event is being organised by campaign group SOS Skye and will be held at the Church of Scotland Hall at 7pm.

Councillor John Finlayson met with Arlene Johnstone last week to seek assurances about the future of the home.

He told Radio Skye he raised the absense of the home’s long term manager.

“One of the main issues is the fact the manager of Home Farm has been off on long term sick. We were told that an experienced manager is now on site and that a number of changes are moving forward.

Radio Skye understands Interim Manager Sheena Williamson will remain in post until at least 25 August. She previously worked for the Care Inspectorate.

Mr Finlayson also raised concerns about maintenance issues at the building, including fire safety work.

“In terms of the maintenance of the building, again it would appear that the handyman has also been off sick.

“Surely if someone is off sick, within the estates team at NHS Highland, there should be people who can come in and address some of the safety issues about fire doors.”

Councillor John Finlayson

NHS Highland has posted vacancies at the home in recent weeks. Mr Finlayson said recruitment remains one of the biggest challenges facing Home Farm.

“Our understanding is that there are agency staff travelling from London at times to work in Home Farm.

“I did ask about the recruitment and the advertising of posts because locally people are saying they never see the adverts.

“I suggested that maybe they should be liaising with SOS Skye in future, who could then put out these adverts.”

Mr Finlayson also asked about a recruitment group previously established under the leadership of the late Ross Cowie.

“I also asked about a group that had previously been set up under the leadership of Ross Cowie, before he sadly passed away, and I was keen to find out if that recruitment group was still meeting with NHS Highland.

“Arlene wasn’t able to confirm that, but maybe at the meeting tonight that will be confirmed.”

He said accommodation was another factor contributing to staffing pressures, and referred to concerns raised in the Care Inspectorate report.

“The whole issue around accommodation is also a reason why staffing is such a challenge.

“As the Care Inspectorate report said, some staff were actually living in Home Farm when they were coming up to do agency work, and that is not at all appropriate.

“That whole agenda is being moved forward, but it has to be moved forward quickly and we need to make sure that any positions at Home Farm are visible when they are advertised.”

However, Mr Finlayson said the main issue for residents and families remained the quality of care being provided.

“The central question in all of this, despite what the Care Inspectorate are asking for, revolves around the care of the residents.

“Categorically, any residents’ families I have spoken to, they’re not concerned. They feel that they are getting appropriate care. That’s really, really important.”

“I challenged Arlene about that and she also is of the same opinion that residents’ care is not being compromised.

“I think the message we were getting is that she is confident that Home Farm will not lose its registration.”

But he said it was important that any improvements were sustainable and that the home did not move from one crisis to another.

“Again I was keen to emphasise that we can’t just have situations where we’re jumping from emergency to emergency.

“If Home Farm keeps its registration, we need to make sure that that is sustainable and leadership, and all the other resources required, are put in place to make sure that we don’t end up in another six months’ time with another unannounced Care Inspectorate visit and again there’s an improvement notice attached to the care home.”

Mr Finlayson also addressed local concerns that NHS Highland may want to reduce services at Home Farm or see it close.

“There is in the community a certain train of thought that suggests that NHS Highland are trying to run down Home Farm and they would like to see it close.

“Again, I challenged Arlene Johnstone on this and categorically that is not their intention.”

He said the response from Ms Johnstone suggested it wanted to see the facility used more fully.

“In fact, she indicated that, at the moment, whilst the home has the capacity for 35 people, only 23 beds are being used.

“It was her hope that they would be able to take more residents in, so that doesn’t suggest to me that they want to run down Home Farm.

“If we don’t have Home Farm, that creates a greater problem for them, just as it creates a massive problem for families and people living in our area.”

You can listen to the full interview with Councillor John Finlayson below.

NHS Highland has been approached for comment.

]]> https://radioskye.com/nhs-highland-oncology-service-facing-pressure-due-to-consultant-shortages/ Thu, 23 Jul 2026 09:10:02 +0000 https://radioskye.com/?p=38006 NHS Highland oncology service facing pressure due to consultant shortages

NHS Highland’s oncology service is facing pressure because of a shortage of specialist consultants, with some cancer patients potentially facing delays to treatment.

The health board says it is working with other NHS boards to secure support for patients affected and ensure they can be treated as soon as possible.

A spokesperson said: “The great majority of pathways continue as normal, with local treatment continuing.”

Cancer teams are contacting patients where their care is affected to explain what the staffing pressures mean for their individual treatment plans. NHS Highland says “safe clinical oversight is being maintained throughout”.

The shortage of specialist oncologists reflects a wider national issue.

The spokesperson added: “We recognise that for the patients who are affected this will be worrying.”

NHS Highland has not said how many patients are affected or how long the current staffing pressures are expected to continue.

Home Farm – public meeting to discuss Portree care home’s future

A public meeting has been arranged to examine the future of Home Farm in Portree. It’s being organised by the Save Portree Hospital campaign group.

The care home has been given until August to make changes after a damning report from the Care Inspectorate. It criticised a “toxic work culture” and highlighted staff shortages.

Neil Campbell from Save Portree Hospital told Radio Skye:

“When the NHS took over (Home Farm) in 2020, we knew the old private company had problems and it was in serious danger. We thought it would be good from then on with a huge back up from NHS Highland and they would come in and make sure Home Farm survived.

“At that time we were looking at 40 beds. NHS Highland did refurbishments inside the building – I think it’s still ongoing, they’ve got a long way to go – and we’re down to 25 beds. That’s hugely concerning when you think of all the homes that were around Skye.”

The meeting is on 3 August at the Church of Scotland Hall in Portree.

A spokesperson for NHS Highland said:

“We recognise that the Care Inspectorate has concluded that further work is required to fully meet all of the requirements set out in the Improvement Notice for Home Farm Care Home.

“Since the inspection, we have taken extensive action to strengthen leadership, governance, staffing oversight, clinical support and quality assurance within the home. We have also increased support for staff, recruited additional personnel and continued work to improve the care environment. While we have made progress, we accept that there is more to do and we are fully committed to delivering the remaining improvements.

“We welcome the ongoing scrutiny of the Care Inspectorate and will continue to work closely with residents, families, staff and our partners to ensure Home Farm provides the safe, compassionate and high-quality care that people have a right to expect.

“The safety, wellbeing and experience of residents remain our highest priority.”

Listen to the full interview with Neil Campbell below.

Home Farm criticised for ‘severely inadequate’ staffing levels

Home Farm has been criticised over what inspectors have described as “severely inadequate” staffing levels and a “toxic and unsupportive” workplace culture.

The Care Inspectorate carried out an unannounced inspection in May and has now published its findings.

Inspectors rated leadership as “unsatisfactory”, saying there was no consistent management presence and that accidents and safeguarding concerns were not always reported or dealt with properly.

They also found the home was heavily reliant on agency staff, with workers often covering excessive hours and sometimes skipping breaks. On some occasions, staffing levels were described as “severely inadequate”, putting residents’ safety at risk.

The report also says rooms designed for residents were inappropriately being used as staff accommodation.

The Care Inspectorate has ordered NHS Highland, which runs the home, to make improvements by 1 August this year.

Home Farm cares for up to 35 people. Eleven residents died during a serious Covid outbreak in 2020. It was operated by HC One at the time.

An NHS Highland spokesperson said:

“We want to reassure people that we have taken this situation seriously and immediately implemented an improvement plan to address the issues raised to ensure we meet the recommendations of the Care Inspectorate. This included additional experienced staffing, leadership support and a review of the physical environment to ensure safe and consistent care is maintained.

“We are in direct contact with residents, their families and staff and are fully committed to making the necessary improvements as quickly as possible.”

‘Serious concerns’ raised over care at Home Farm

The Care Inspectorate has issued an improvement notice to NHS Highland, which runs Home Farm. It says significant concerns have been raised around leadership, staffing and safety.

Management have been given a deadline of July to improve things. Following that, the home’s registration could be removed.

Home Farm cares for up to 35 people. Eleven residents died during a serious Covid outbreak in 2020. It was operated by HC One at the time. NHS Highland says it is “sorry for the anxiety this situation may cause” and that it recognises the findings will be concerning. The board says it will implement an improvement plan and bring in what it calls “additional leadership and clinical support”.

In a statement, the Care Inspectorate said:

“We understand this is a difficult and distressing time for residents, their families and staff at the service.

“However, our first priority is always the health and wellbeing of people.

“Because of our concerns we have issued an Improvement Notice.

“This sets out the significant improvements that must be made within a specified timeframe.

“We are in contact with and monitoring the service to follow up on the required improvements.”

This is a breaking news story – check back for updates.

First Minister calls for end to UK arms sales to Israel

Scotland First Minister has reiterated the Scottish Government’s call for an end to all UK arm sales to Israel and said recognising Palestine as a sovereign state is fundamental to building lasting peace.

Speaking a year on from Israeli forces beginning their ground invasion of Gaza following the killing of around 1,200 people by Hamas Militants, Mr Swinney said: “The horror, suffering and killing we have watched unfold in Gaza in real-time, on such a devastating scale, has now spread across the region.

“The need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is at the heart of reaching wider peace in the Middle East, and we must see the unconditional release of all hostages.”

The First Minister (pictured) added: “There have been repeated breaches of international law and violations of human rights since the conflict began, and Israel must stop blocking essential humanitarian aid from reaching wounded and starving civilians who are surviving in nightmarish conditions.

“Tens of thousands of lives have been lost, and millions more have been directly affected by this catastrophe. I stand with our communities in Scotland who have lost loves ones and face the daily torment of not knowing if their family members will make it through the day.”

Portree host Harris in Lucky2BHere fundraiser

A Portree under-16s team took on an under 16s side from Harris Football Club in a fundraising challenge match in aid of Skye charity Lucky2BHere in Portree on Saturday.

Jono MacLean and Luke Johnson scored for Harris to earn them a 2-0 win during an entertaining but rain-soaked encounter at the Portree High School Astro pitch.

After the match, Ailsa MacInnes of Lucky2BHere (pictured) accepted a cheque from the Harris team as a donation towards the charity which help to secure the transport of a new defibrillator across the Minch which will be added the existing provision of live-saving devices in Harris.

Skye’s Niteworks to be honoured at Scots Trad Awards

Skye electro-trad trailblazers Niteworks are set to be honoured at the Scots Trad Awards for their contribution to music over the past two decades.

Today MG ALBA which runs the Scots Trad Music Awards announced that Niteworks (pictured) will be recognised for their musical contribution through the Services to Gaelic Award at this years ceremony which will take place at the Inverness Leisure Centre on 30th November.

Voting opened today for the 116-strong group of talent shortlisted for the awards which celebrate Scotland’s vibrant traditional music scene and closes on 10th November.

Among the nominees are Skye’s Malin Lewis who is up for the Album of the Year for their record Halocline,

Head of the Plockton National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music, Mike Vass has been shortlisted for Composer of the year, alongside Mairead Green for their project A.D.A.M.

Meanwhile, the Skye Youth Pipe Band has been nominated as one of four contenders for the Scottish Pipe Band of the year, while Robert John MacInnes has been selected in a five-strong field for the Trad Music in the Media Award for his Friday Night Trad programme.

Mànran lead singer and creator of the Hollie in the Hydro event, Gary Innes, Eilean Dorcha Festival organiser Roddy MacKay, and Skye Live’s Michael Pelegrotti are all up for industry person of the year.

Charity push to stop bonfire night attacks on emergency services

A national crime prevention charity have launched its campaign to help prevent deliberate fires and bonfire night attacks.

Alongside Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and the Scottish Government, the campaign led by Crimestoppers aims to prevent attacks on Scotland’s emergency services.

In 2023, information provided anonymously to the charity prevent at least at least one extremely serious attack on emergency crews in Scotland.

Crimestoppers campaign will aim to encourage reporting from the public about any planned attacks and help gather information after bonfire night about who was responsible.

Information can be given anonymously to Crimestoppers via there website or by calling 0800 555 111.

Scotland narrowly lost to Ireland by three points in Saturday’s shinty hurling match which was held in in Ennis, Country Clare on Saturday (October 26)

Scotland’s point came courtesy of Kevin Bartlett, Steven MacDonald, Ruraidh Anderson, Daniel MacVicar, Craig Morrison and Lachie Shaw, but it was the Irish who took the spoils by 25 points to 22.

Skye captain John Gillies and a trio of players from Kinlochshiel, Donald Nixon, Finlay MacRae, and Shiel captain Conor Cormack were part of the national team squad for the match which was contested at Cusack Park.

Photo credit: Ray McManus.

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