Caithness leads the way with potentially lifesaving device
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Caithness has become a trailblazer in the Highlands in providing a potentially lifesaving medical device for patients with coronavirus symptoms – thanks to local donations.
One hundred pulse oximeters – which are placed on the finger to painlessly measure the oxygen saturation in blood – have been purchased to be used in the Covid-19 assessment centre in Wick as well as in some of the county's red rooms.
Red rooms are isolated units used for assessing patients with suspected symptoms.
Explaining that there had been a reported worldwide shortage of the finger probes, Dr Alison Brooks, of the Princes Street Surgery in Thurso, said: "It is such a bonus for us. The generosity of Caithness has just been unbelievable.
"Caithness is the first to do this – they now want to roll it out in other parts of the Highlands."
Around £9000 was raised by local estate agent Yvonne Fitzgerald through online fundraising on GoFundMe, with £3000 going towards the purchase of the pulse oximeters.
Dr Brooks explained: "When patients are referred some are perfectly fine and will go home, some go to hospital, while some are in between and need followed up."
She said that the system at the moment was for those not sick enough to be admitted to hospital to be referred to specialist respiratory nurses based at Raigmore who check in on the patients each day until they get better.
"We thought if we could provide for the patient to take home with them a pulse oximeter and instructions on how to use it this would give a very early indication if the person is deteriorating.
"Patients can sound not particularly breathless and yet their saturation levels can be dropping. This is a much more valuable device to give a blood oxygen reading."
The rest of the GoFundMe money is going to buy a state-of-the-art electrocardiogram (ECG) machine for Caithness General Hospital which will aid the management of cardiac patients with scans going direct to the doctors in coronary care at Raigmore.
"It is a fantastic addition to our diagnostic abilities," Dr Brooks said.
Pam Garbe, rural general hospital manager, said: “I would like to thank Yvonne Fitzgerald and all who were involved in raising funds for the very generous donation of £6000 for Caithness General Hospital. The purchase of an ECG machine, which links directly to a system called SCI store, will enable medical and nursing staff to have direct access to ECG reports which will benefit patient care.
“The generosity of the community is much appreciated by all staff.”
Meanwhile, Halkirk Football Club and Halkirk United FC donated £1000 which has been used to purchase 12,000 good-quality face visors. These have been distributed to local medical practices, nursing homes and home carers, as well as Key Housing, Thor House and the police.
Dr Brooks said: "All these things are only possible with the wonderful community. People are still handing things in on a daily basis. It is just tremendous."
Commenting on the use of the red room at the Thurso practice, she said: "It has been used pretty much on a daily basis. I have also given keys to the out-of-hours doctors so if they need to see a patient at night they are not going to be contaminating the Dunbar Hospital."
Dr Brooks said they had been calling for testing to be done locally and explained that at the moment medical staff were being trained online on how to carry out the procedure, with rural practitioners at Caithness General Hospital also offering face-to-face training in care homes.
She said they were building up a cohort of people locally who could do the testing. "We are really keen to get testing here for health care staff, social care staff and relatives," Dr Brooks said.
Referring to the outbreak of Covid-19 in a Skye care home, she added: "If there was, God forbid, an outbreak in a care home here the team would be able to go there. We are trying to take testing to another level in Caithness.
"People have become a little bit complacent in the more rural areas – this could easily happen anywhere.
"The fact that half the workforce is wiped out and you suddenly have half the staff dealing with very sick patients is devastating."
More personal protective equipment is coming this week in the form of anti-viral snoods thanks to the Halkirk District Benefit Fund. These will be easier to put on than a mask.
