Health board under ‘surveillance’

A health board has been put under special surveillance by the UK’S medical watchdog.

Thegeneralmedicalcouncil has implemented “enhanced monitoring” for NHS Tayside’s adult mental health services after junior doctors reported issues including “undermining and bullying”.

The report also revealed a lack of supervision of junior doctors in clinics, and trainees being left to cover consultant sick leave without being given information about patients.

Last month the health board’s whistleblowing champion Munwar Hussain resigned after he claimed allegations of systematic bullying of junior doctors were not taken seriously.

In a letter to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman he outlined allegations that a trainee had taken their own life.

The GMC said: “We will continue to provide the deanery with enhanced monitoring and support until we have evidence that the issues have been resolved.

“A comprehensive action plan has been agreed with NHS Tayside and the deanery are planning a revisit to check on progress which we will attend in 2019.”