Lack of a guarantee over impact on patients ‘extremely worrying’

Patient care must remain the priority while NHS Tayside tries to cut its budget and pay back government loans, the convener of Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee has said.

Jenny Marra, who is also Labour’s Dundee-based MSP for the North East Scotland region, said it was “extremely worrying” that Professor John Connell, the health board’s chairman, had refused to give a guarantee there would be no impact on services while huge savings are made.

The Courier understands that a fresh Audit Scotland crisis report on the board is due to be handed to health secretary Shona Robison before the end of June.

Ms Marra said: “The priority is maintaining health services for patients in Tayside and NHS jobs in Tayside.

“It is important that NHS Tayside gets a grip of this situation without any impact for patients.

“Professor John Connell gave that guarantee before Christmas but wasn’t able to give a commitment last week (during a session of the committee). “That is extremely worrying.” Ms Marra’s committee has had NHS Tayside’s directors in front of it for two robust evidence sessions, while Caroline Gardiner, Scotland’s Auditor General, has also given evidence.

“Opportunities are there and Audit Scotland has identified these opportunities in terms of prescribing, procurement, staffing, recruiting and getting the balance back to contracted NHS nurses,” Ms Marra added.

“These have been well discussed by Audit Scotland, at sessions of the Public Audit Committee, and also with NHS staff at meetings.

“It is everyone’s job in the organisation to come together because it is in the interests of everyone in Tayside that we sort this out without any impact on patients.”