‘Akills review’ call for health board members

EVERY member of NHS Tayside’s board should undergo tests to see if they are up to the job, according to an MSP.

Jenny Marra said those who fall short should be moved on and replaced with personnel who have the skills t o prevent a repeat of the misuse of funds by the health board.

The chairman of the public audit committee made the call as Health Secretary Shona Robison rejected a call to resign when she updated the Scottish Parliament on the cash crisis.

NHS Tayside has been mired in accounting controversy, including using charity cash to fund IT projects, that has forced its senior leadership out.

Labour MSP Ms Marra told Holyrood: “In 2014, board members agreed to suspend the constitution to transfer charitable funds to core expenditure, breaking the trust of local people who give so generously.

“We now need a f ull review of every board member to ensure they have the requisite skills to prevent a breach like this ever happening again.

“Will the cabinet secretary outline a full appraisal and skills review of every board member at NHS Tayside?”

Ms Robison, who is also the Dundee East MSP, said it would be for the “new chair and chief executive to look at whether or not they have t he right skillset across their board”.

A spokesman f or Ms Marra said if board members were not up to scratch they should be “moved on”.

NHS Tayside said there had been several personnel changes since 2014.

Derek Wann, a non-executive board member of NHS Tayside who j oined i n November, is not convinced a skills review is necessary.

The board members had a “gun held to the head” when they sanctioned the transfer of the public donations for general expenditure in 2014, he said.

The Conservative councillor added those members from 2014 have “learned their lesson”.

An investigation by the charities regulator OSCR is under way, which is looking at the board’s behaviour.

Ms Robison argued that “extensive support” has been given to NHS Tayside, including £45 million of bail-out loans and a decisive intervention to bring in new leadership.