No inquiry into 46 deaths at health board

POLICE chiefs have been ordered to explain why ‘no inquiry’ was carried out into more than 40 deaths at a crisis-hit health board.

The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (Pirc) has identified failings in the way Police Scotland responded to allegations made against NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Former nurse Rab Wilson raised concerns more than five years ago that critical incident reports were ‘buried’ by the board to cover up failings that led to ‘avoidable’ deaths.

He also alleged the reports had been produced retrospectively and that the health board had denied they existed when he requested them under the Freedom of Information Act. Mr Wilson lodged a complaint with the Pirc last year about the way Police Scotland has dealt with his allegations.

Now Commissioner Kate Frame has ordered the force to explain why it ‘did not deem it necessary to investigate’ Mr Wilson’s claims.

The Pirc found that despite Mr Wilson’s allegations that health board chiefs may be guilty of criminal negligence, officers failed to interview anyone directly involved.

Mr Wilson first claimed to have exposed a cover-up involving 46 deaths in 2012. He told a newspaper: ‘If this is happening in one health board, what is going on in the others?’

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We can confirm we have received the report and will consider the recommendations.’