News / Video conferencing helps health board to save money
NHS SHETLAND saved around £580,000 last year by patients not having to travel to the mainland for appointments thanks to video conferencing and more pre-assessments being held locally.
NHS Shetland patient travel manager Yvonne Graham told the Sumburgh Airport consultative committee on Thursday that 1,400 journeys were saved over the course of 2017.
Around 1,200 of those were thanks to video conferencing, which was double the amount compared to 2016.
Graham said nearly 7,000 patients and escorts travelled south for appointments in the last financial year.
It comes at a time when the health board needs to cut its costs by several million pounds over the next few years.
Graham added that NHS Shetland had helped 26 patients through a new hotline which allows patients with appointments in Aberdeen to phone up staff in Lerwick to double-check if their needs can be catered for locally.
At the Sumburgh Airport consultative committee meeting on Thursday, Shetland south councillor and vice-chairman of the health and social care partnership integration joint board Allison Duncan questioned how many patients choose to travel by boat.
“It tends to be pretty consistent no matter what we do,” Graham said, adding that around 2,000 people travel by the ferry a year.
Last year NHS Shetland struck a new deal with airline Loganair for patient travel after deciding against an unpopular move to have people take the boat in the first instance.
The health board said the new Loganair deal would save around £300,000 a year.
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 600 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.
Already a supporter? Sign in to hide this message.
