A WOMAN died at an island music festival – just yards from a shut hospital at the centre of a closure controversy.
The reveller took ill on Saturday night at the Skye Live event in Portree but medics who raced to the scene couldn’t save her.
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Tonight it emerged the tragedy happened a short distance from Portree Community Hospital – a shuttered health hub that previously provided emergency care.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has now called for a probe.
She said she was “hugely concerned by reports that during a medical emergency, access to Portree hospital was limited for vital life-saving equipment”.
She added: “This is extremely serious if so.
“My first aim is to get all the facts so that I understand precisely what happened, and secondly there must be accountability.”
Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “My thoughts are with all those involved, particularly the family and friends of the woman who tragically lost her life at the music festival in Portree.
“However, this was not the only incident over the weekend, and I have also been contacted about another incident which happened only minutes from the closed hospital and which, because of a lack of ambulance cover, required the involvement of RNLI crew.
“While it is important that all are investigated fully, there is real local anger over the lack of availability of urgent care at NHS Portree during a period that saw a high numbers of visitors in the area.”
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A local community group called the Skye SOS campaign was set up to raise concerns over the lack of urgent care at the hospital, that stopped their round-the-clock service in 2022.
They want a 24-hour service restored in the town and all beds are reinstated.
The Portree Community Hospital’s website states that urgent care is available by appointment only on Saturday and Sunday.
It opens at 8.30am on weekends and is closed by 7.30pm.
The nearest hospital with a 24-hour A&E unit is 25 miles away at the Broadford Hospital.
Police and ambulance crews raced to the event just before midnight as the festival was coming to an end on Saturday.
The force confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
The popular Skye Live festival takes place on Am Meall in Portree, known locally as The Lump, which is less than 0.5 miles away from the community hospital.
The event was held over three days from Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 11.
And it attracted hundreds of revellers to see acts such as Tidelines, Skerryvore and Peatbog Faeries.
NHS Highland said the Scottish Ambulance Service attended Saturday’s incident and, also another medical emergency in Portree at the weekend.
A spokesman said the SAS had been helped by an off-duty nurse and a doctor sent from Broadford Hospital, which is 25 miles from Portree.
The spokesman said: “Emergency care is available 24/7 by contacting 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency.”
The health board said non-emergency out-of-hours urgent care was available at Portree hospital by appointment on Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays from 08:30 to 19:30
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 11.55pm on Saturday, 11 May, we were called to a report of a woman unwell at an event in Portree.
“Police and Ambulance attended, however the woman was pronounced dead.
“Enquiries continue however there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
“A report will be forwarded to the Procurator Fiscal.”
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A spokesperson for Skye Live said: “We are heartbroken by the tragic incident that occurred at our festival.
“Our thoughts are with the person’s loved ones, and we continue to cooperate fully with the authorities.”
