Lib Dems join calls for Robison to resign

Rennie takes stand over NHS ‘failures’ SNP brand attack ‘petty and personal’

Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has called on under-fire health secretary Shona Robison to quit.

He used his keynote speech at the Lib Dems’ conference in Aviemore yesterday to declare that Ms Robison must “carry the can” for a string of problems in the health service. This includes the recent NHS Tayside row over charity cash being used to fund IT systems, instead of frontline care as intended.

But the attack was branded “petty and personalised” by Ms Robison’s spokesman.

Labour leader Richard Leonard also demanded Ms Robison’s departure at Holyrood last week, but Nicola Sturgeon is backing her long-term friend and political ally.

Mr Rennie said that when problems emerged over payments at NHS Tayside, the health secretary “went on the hunt for someone to blame”.

“A clear symptom of a stale government,” he said

“A chairman and chief executive used as human shields for the health secretary. How can it be right for the people brought in after the mistakes to carry the can alone for those mistakes?”

NHS Tayside chairman Professor John Connell quit after being urged to do so by Ms Robison following the charity endowment row. Chief executive Lesley Mclay has also gone.

Mr Rennie added: “Because of NHS Tayside, because of the shortage of GPS, the failures in social care, failures in A&E, failures in waiting times, failures in mental health, I am fed up with it.

“These failures must mean change must come. We should not expect things to just carry on. I don’t often call for resignations. Shona Robison must accept that she is responsible. Change will only come when there is change at the top.

“She must resign. And she must resign now.”

Scotland’s public spending watchdog, Auditor General Caroline Gardner, told MSPS last week that warnings over the finances of NHS Tayside were “sounded very clearly” in the past few years, but were not “taken seriously”.

A spokesman for Ms Robison defended her record.

“Willie Rennie’s petty, personalised attack on Shona does him no credit whatsoever – the health secretary has addressed the issues facing NHS Tayside, where a new leadership team has been installed,” he said.

“And she is presiding over a health service where we are investing record amounts of money, with record high numbers of staff. We will get on with the job of delivering for patients and leave Willie Rennie to gripe from the sidelines.”

The Tories are not calling for Ms Robison to resign.

Health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “If I thought getting rid of Shona Robison would solve all the problems facing our NHS, I would have called for it long ago. Scottish Conservatives are working to put forward political solutions, not just making personal attacks.”

scott.macnab@scotsman.com