Fears for NHS Fife’s financial dealings

Former director branded ‘whistleblower’ for airing concerns

A former NHS Fife director claims he has been ostracised and branded a whistleblower after airing concerns about the board’s finances.

Andrew Rodger called in Audit Scotland amid concerns the public was being kept in the dark about the effect millions of pounds worth of cuts would have on health services.

The auditors found several weaknesses, including savings proposals that were so vague they were not open to proper scrutiny.

Mr Rodger said: “Every time I asked a question at finance meetings I was closed down. Now I’m being ostracised for doing the right thing.”

NHS Fife said the points in the interim audit report had been addressed.

NHS Fife’s financial controls have been criticised by independent auditors called in by an alarmed former board member.

Officials from Audit Scotland found the health service could be leaving itself open to fraud because proper processes are not being followed.

They also pointed to the lack of a longterm financial plan and revealed concerns that multi-million-pound savings proposals were so vague they were not open to proper scrutiny.

Whistleblower Andrew Rodger, who stepped down from the board when he retired as a councillor in May, said he was appalled by the findings.

He claimed he is now being ostracised by the wider NHS for daring to stand up for the people of Fife on how public money was being spent.

“The NHS Fife finance meetings are not open to the public and they should be because they’re spending millions of pounds of public money,” he said.

“Every time I asked a question at finance meetings I was closed down. There was no transparency.

“I asked Audit Scotland to come in after a public meeting where they said they’d end the year more than £4 million overspent but just four days later they said they’d found the money. Where did that come from?”

Mr Rodger said he was now being branded a whistleblower for doing his job and added: “I’m being ostracised for doing the right thing.”

NHS Fife chief executive Paul Hawkins defended the organisation, saying its arrangements were in line with all other health boards.

However, the auditors concluded that while key controls in place within NHS Fife’s main financial systems operated satisfactorily, there were several weaknesses.

They said there was no long-term financial plan beyond year three and no formal reporting on specific savings or timescales.

They added there was a risk the health board would be unable to achieve sustainability without long-term financial plans and that a lack of clarity over its activity could result in the board failing to achieve financial balance.

The report also found the NHS Fife website had not been kept up to date in a number of areas and concluded: “There is a risk that users do not have access to understandable, relevant and timely information and information is not as transparent as it should be.”

The auditors noted that when Tricia Marwick took over as board chairwoman in January, a number of actions for improvement were put in place with more emphasis on scrutiny and governance.

Every time I asked a question at finance meetings I was closed down. I’m being ostracised for doing the right thing. ANDREW RODGER

Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.