Now Robison faces pressure to resign after health board bosses forced out
THE crisis at a health board escalated dramatically yesterday after top bosses were forced out and the Scottish Government installed its own management team.
NHS Tayside’s chairman announced he was quitting, while the chief executive went off duty ‘for personal reasons’ following a scandal over using charitable donations for day-to-day services.
The Government stepped in to install its own chairman and chief executive, only hours after Health Secretary Shona Robison publicly called for the pair to stand down.
But Miss Robison was also under growing pressure to quit last night amid questions about why she failed to act sooner.
An inquiry was launched by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) into how donations made to the Tayside NHS Board Endowment Fund were used.
The endowment fund is a registered charity which holds money from donations and legacies to buy items and services over and above those covered by the health board’s core funding, such as toys for children’s wards, specialist equipment and refurbishments to day rooms.
Board chairman Professor John Connell announced he was quitting hours after Miss Robison urged him to go to help restore ‘public confidence’. She had also demanded that chief executive Lesley McLay went, saying her position was ‘untenable’.
Last night, the Scottish Government confirmed Miss McLay was ‘off duty for personal reasons’.
NHS Grampian chief executive Malcolm Wright will also take on the role of NHS Tayside interim chief executive. John Brown, chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is now also interim chairman of NHS Tayside.
NHS Scotland chief executive Paul Gray said: ‘As the Cabinet Secretary made clear, a change of leadership was needed within NHS Tayside to maintain public confidence.
‘These appointments will provide stability and enhance financial scrutiny. Their considerable experience in management and leading change will bring huge benefits. Most importantly, it will ensure patient safety continues to be at the very heart of their work.’
Miss Robison said: ‘Their appointments will bring a very valuable stability to the board.’
Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: ‘It is right the NHS Tayside chair and chief executive resign. They have let down local staff, they have let down local patients and they have broken the trust of local people by misusing charitable money.
‘But there are also serious questions for SNP Health Secretary Shona Robison to answer. This is not an isolated incident. There has been a series of incidents over a number of years, reflecting a complete lack of leadership and mismanagement of our NHS by the SNP minister. Shona Robison must consider her own position.’
On Thursday, the Scottish Government announced it was taking control and imposing an interim management team.
Miss McLay is understood to have signed off work shortly after Miss Robison said: ‘She will need to consider her position. The best course of action will be for her to step down.’
Accounts show almost half of the Tayside NHS Board Endowment Fund – £2.3million – was diverted to shore up funding for a digital healthcare initiative in the 2013-14 financial year.
Professor Connell said: ‘It has been a privilege to provide leadership to NHS Tayside. I am acutely aware of the outstanding efforts of all staff to deliver safe and effecexpected tive healthcare to the population of the region.
‘I have always maintained a focus on safe patient care and am very pleased this has not been compromised during a difficult financial period.
‘NHS Tayside is set on the correct course to transform its services and maintain safe health and care for Tayside. I know my successor will have the support of a superb group of healthcare professionals in taking this forward.’
Last week Mr Gray told MSPs he NHS Tayside could require further cash from the Government of £9-12million.
A review by accountant Grant Thornton found that since 2012 the board had ‘misrepresented’ its financial performance by ‘holding’ £5.3million allocated for ‘eHealth’ initiatives.
Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: ‘The actions from Shona Robison and the SNP over the last 24 hours demonstrate a government which has lost control of our NHSf.
‘NHS Tayside is not the only health board facing serious financial management issues. SNP ministers have presided over a situation where financial scrutiny has been at best insufficient and at worse incompetent.
‘After 11 years of SNP mismanagement it will now suit incompetent ministers to blame NHS senior management for the failings. Perhaps it’s time they started to look closer to home.’
An OSCR spokesman said: ‘We have opened an inquiry into the charity Tayside NHS Board Endowment Funds. As such, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.’
Comment – Page 18
‘Leadership change was needed’ ‘Government has lost control of NHS’