There are concerns on Benbecula that NHS Western Isles has moved to reduce the bed capacity at the island's hospital, from 29 beds to 16.

The island's community councillors say they are "concerned and surprised" that the health board had chosen to proceed to implement this decision "without any consultation whatsoever with the communities affected. It is presented as a fait accompli as though the views of local constituents, and existing/prospective patients, are unimportant," they claim.

They say they understood that patients, some quite elderly, and children with parents, would have to travel long distances for fairly minor procedures. They fear the decision will inevitably result in staff redundancies in the Uist and Barra hospital.

But NHS Western Isles Nurse Director Sandy Brown is clear: "There will be no reduction in hospital staffing. The changes planned are in fact intended to strengthen nursing provision to improve patient safety and offer a much more attractive career pathway for nurses. The board is increasing the seniority of the nursing staff and training them to provide a higher level of care.

"The hospital is staffed to cover the average bed occupancy over a period of years (15 beds). The provision of staffing allows for a degree of flexibility in approach to beds. The beds could be increased to 20 if there is a need during any period of peak demand, and the new staffing model would support this flexibility. This is also based on the information of usage over the same number of years."

She says there had been no transfers from the hospital due to capacity issues and would not anticipate any.