LOCAL MSP DEMANDS A FRESH LOOK AT HEALTH BOARD
THE FORMER head of the NHS in Scotland, Trevor Jones, was undiplomatically brutal in his condemnation of former executives of Argyll and Bute Health Board when he spoke to the Audit Committee of the Scottish Executive on Tuesday.
The subject of the committee’s deliberations was the board’s monumental deficit, which skyrocketed from virtually nothing in 2000 to £35.4m only three years later.
Mr Jones said that, while there was no expectation that the board could wipe out their deficit in a year, he “had to be convinced that there was a firm commitment to address the underlying problems, take urgent action and learn from other boards facing similar problems.”
He said: “We had to see commitment, drive and action on the ground. That is what I thought we never had in this recovery plan.
“I never saw a plan that showed Argyll and Clyde were aware of their duties, or able to live within their means.
He explained that deficits each year were less important than clear and early action to address the underlying problems before they fed inevitable long-term losses.
However, instead of cutting staff, the board increased staffing on an annual basis.
He said that if the board spent £35m more than it was allocated, then it would have to employ fewer staff.
“That’s the reality of the situation,” he pointed out.
A support team had been sent in to take charge of the finances in October 2002, and the chief executives of the board and three trusts resigned as the gravity of the board’s financial position emerged.
The departure of the executives was an issue which was raised at the public meeting in the Queen’s Hall. No figure has ever been given for the cost of disposing of their services, but a figure of £1.2m was quoted from the floor of the meeting, and this has never been denied.
Mr Jones said that the bottom line for any organisation was to live within its resources in hand. There is no ability to spend cash they don’t have - that can only be at the expense of other organisations within the NHS.
At one point, he said, a levy on all the Scottish health boards was considered to pay for those in trouble, but this was discounted since it was felt that such a move was unfair.
To emphasise that it was possible to resolve deficit problems, he pointed out that by taking prompt action, both the Tayside and Lanarkshire health boards had done just that.
Mr Jones described a top-level meeting of health chiefs from Argyll and Clyde called to address the issue as being “marred by arguments, refusal to agree on the problems, and lack of mutual respect.”
He concluded by saying that he was losing faith that this group of individuals would be able to lead the board to success, and this was what prompted the sending in of the support team and the subsequent resignations.
Local MSP George Lyon, who is a member of the committee, said, “Mr Jones comments confirmed the Audit Committee’s view - Neil Campbell (The present Chief Executive) and his team have been hung out to dry; they simply haven’t been given the finance and support they need to do the job.
“In my own personal view the debt should be written off by the Executive, since it’s irrecoverable anyway, and the board needs a fresh start.”
However, Mr Lyon thinks the problem is wider than just finance.
Argyll and Clyde Health Board as an entity just doesn’t make sense - it’s a very strange structure indeed. Tying us in with Paisley Royal Alexandra and Vale of Leven Hospitals, which have problems of their own, just doesn’t work.
“The sooner the make up of this board’s area is reviewed and revised, the better.”


FERRIES DISRUPTED BUT COWAL ESCAPES THE WORST
RESIDENTS of Cowal were counting their blessings on Wednesday morning in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s storm. The local area had escaped the full force of the hurricane force winds - the most powerful Atlantic storm to hit Scotland in more than a decade. There was some minor damage here and there; fallen trees and debris were causing problems on minor coastal roads. Strone Primary was the only school closed because of a badly damaged roof.
Ferries were also affected. On Tuesday the CalMac 12.20pm service from Gourock was unable to berth at Dunoon and had to return. Similarly, the 3.20 crossing was unable to come alongside at Dunoon and was sent back to Gourock. Just after 4pm CalMac took the decision to cancel all further crossings. Normal service wasn’t resumed until 9.50am on Wednesday morning. At the time of going to press The Observer was told by a CalMac spokeswoman that they would be running a normal service, ‘subject always of course to weather conditions.”
Unusually for Western Ferries their service was affected too. Their crossings were interrupted briefly on Tuesday afternoon and then resumed, and there was just one crossing on Wednesday morning before all sailings were cancelled. There were rumours that the linkspan had been damaged, a suggestion which was point blank denied by the company. Their spokesperson said that the weather conditions at McInroy’s Point were much worse than those at Hunter’s Quay; and for safety reasons they felt they had to suspend crossings. The situation was being monitored, and at time of going to press they were still waiting for weather conditions to improve before they would resume.
Elsewhere in Argyll people awoke to an aftermath of floods, fallen trees and roads washed away.
Oban and the islands were worst hit, with severe flooding in the town itself affecting many properties. Two thousand additional sandbags were brought in from the Mid Argyll area, when the stock of 1,000 proved insufficient to cope with the rising water.
Over 60,000 people in the north and west were without electricity and power companies put hundreds of engineers on stand-by to cope with emergency calls.
Most of the 26,000 population of the Western Isles lost electricity, while many households in the Southern Isles had no heating or light.


BURST MAIN CUTS OFF KAMES WATER
SOME residents in Kames and Tighnabruaich had no water for nearly a week over the New Year period. A burst pipe meant Scottish Water had to shut off the supply while essential maintenance was carried out.
While some locals were critical of Scottish Water’s lack of warning, others had praise for them, especially the promptness with which they were provided with bottled water, and pointing out that Scottish Water could hardly give advance warning of a burst pipe.
Scottish Water confirmed that there was a burst on the Tighnabruaich supply which affected customers between Christmas and New Year.
The burst was between the clear water tank and the service reservoir at Tighnabruaich and began to affect properties on Boxing Day in Ardlamont and Kames. Around 30 properties were affected overall.
Scottish Water’s spokeswoman explained: “Our staff were out as quickly as possible delivering bottled water. Unfortunately due to the geography the leak took two days to locate. It was pinpointed to a remote spot in a wood near Tighnabruaich and repairs were carried out.
“There were then problems recharging the system as the system had been leaking for a few days it had drained the clear water tank right down and caused airlocks within the pipes. This was coupled with an increased demand on the system due to more visitors in the area during the holiday period.
“Supplies were restored by January 3.”
Graeme Connor, the local Scottish Water Team Leader said: “I would like to sincerely apologise to those customers affected by this burst. It was an emergency situation and because it was in a remote area, the leak took some time to locate. We could not warn people in advance that they would lose their water supply but our local teams did everything they could to get bottled water and bowsers out during the holidays to ensure people had drinking water.”


ARBORETUM FUNDING “A CHALLENGE”
FEARS that Kilmun Arboretum may be falling into disrepair have been put to Forestry Commission Scotland by The Observer.
Nature lovers and dog walkers alike have been enjoying the quietly serene beauty of the Kilmun Arboretum for decades. However there have been murmurs of disquiet lately about the current condition of the Arboretum and complaints by local people that it was falling into a state of disrepair.
The Kilmun Arboretum, situated on the hillside overlooking Holy Loch, contains over 180 acres of trees from all over the world. It was first planted in the 1930s to monitor the success of a variety of exotic tree species in the humid west coast environment, and has been maintained by the Research Department of the Forestry Commission since 1948.
One local man, who lives nearby and who visits the Arboretum regularly, told The Observer that a footpath had to be closed because of a huge hole that had opened up in the ground beside it. The hole, (pictured here) is about 7 feet deep and 3 feet wide.
Apart from the hole, users of the Arboretum have reported potholes in the tarmac at the entrance, information notice boards on trees down and a general feeling that it was uncared for. The local man, who asked not to be named, said: “It seems to be going downhill pretty rapidly. Once it was immaculately maintained and the difference is very noticeable.”
The Observer contacted Forestry Commission Scotland to find out what was going on.
Their spokesman said: “We are aware and regret that the condition of Kilmun Arboretum has been declining over recent years despite the best efforts of past and present staff. We share local people’s aspirations for its restoration, but with competing priorities the problem has been sourcing the money to pay for restoration work.
“Since 2002 we have been able to allocate some funds, including some from the EU, to restoration work. So far this has resulted in some new footpaths and rhododendron clearance. Tree labels are being designed and will be erected this year, as will a new information point in the car park.
“Early in 2004 we convened a Steering Group to guide the restoration process. The group includes tree experts and local input via Councillor Bruce Marshall, who has been an enthusiastic campaigner for improvements to the Arboretum.
“The Steering Group approved the appointment of consultant David Neilson, who in December presented his report options for the arboretum’s development. This indicated a minimum further expenditure of £100,000 to maintain it as a scientific and local resource, or £800,000 for full-scale development as a National Arboretum. Both sums are significant, and it will be a challenge to source such funds to meet local aspirations. The Steering Group is meeting on 18 January to discuss and agree how best to proceed.
“The large hole followed the recent severe weather. It appears to have been caused by an underground watercourse and was due to be fenced off on January 11. Likewise the trees that fell down during recent storms will be cleared as soon as possible, although the forecast indicates that more damage can be expected.
“We also know about the damage to the access road, and patching was undertaken on the stretch we own in 2004. We now have permission to repair the stretch of road closest to the public road. Temporary repairs will be undertaken as soon as possible, and we intend to resurface that stretch in the summer.”
The Arboretum is mentioned in many guide books about the area and visitors are encouraged to come and explore its sylvan charms, so it would be a pity if it were allowed to sink into a state of neglect.


ENTENTE CORDIALE BREAKS DOWN AT OTTER FERY
HAVE you heard the one about the Frenchman and the Englishman who live and work next door to each other in Scotland? Well there’s no punchline, and the scenario is no laughing matter, after both men ended up in Dunoon Sheriff Court on Thursday January 5, over a heated dispute and accusations of racism.
Frenchman Alan Miailhes owns the Oystercatcher restaurant and bar in Otter Ferry, Tighnabruaich and stands accused of threatening behaviour and racially aggravated disorderly conduct towards his neighbour Englishman Malcolm Staines, who along with his wife runs the ‘Wee Shop,’ next door.
The two businesses are less than 100 feet apart and are regular haunts for passing tourists and yachtsmen but in court it was alleged that 59 year-old Mr Miailhes called his neighbour a fat ****** English *** and added: “You should go back to where you came from.”
Mr Staines, who has a heart condition, claimed he was once friends with his French neighbour up until he applied for an off-licence for the ‘Wee Shop,’ whereupon he stated there was only animosity, including refusal of service in the pub.
But Mr Staines denied his complaint was a means to damage Mr Miailhes as a licensee, however the 57 year-old Englishmen also alleged that Mr Miailhes had threatened to go to environmental health officers over cooking food within his premises and the police over the condition of his van. Although not accusing the Frenchman of carrying out these threats Mr Staines was called upon by the Department of Transport and environmental health officers and noted that the police had received a complaint that he drove without a licence or insurance.
Mr Miailhes denies that he acted in a disorderly manner, shouted, swore, threatened Mr Staines with violence, made a racist remark and threatened to throw the Englishman’s car keys into Loch Fyne on July 11 in the Oystercatcher car-park, when it was alleged the Frenchman, whilst preparing for Bastille Day in memory of the French Revolution in 1789, charged up to Mr Staines as he sat in his vehicle on a disputed piece of land between the two men, whereupon Mr Miailhes is accused of being offensive, abusive and threatening by telling him: “Move your ******* van. I don’t park on your side, you don’t park here.”
The trial will resume in March when the defence case will be heard.