Pressure grows on NHS over Covid deaths inquiry
A campaign group has cranked up the pressure on NHS Ayrshire and Arran over the deaths of a nursing assistant and a patient following a COVID-19 outbreak at an Ayrshire psychiatric ward.
The group, Action for Safe and Accountable People’s NHS, previously criticised the health board’s investigation into their handling of the tragedies.
The group wrote to Scotland’s top police officer, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, demanding an investigation into the deaths of nursing assistant Neil Alexander, 64, who died in February, and an unnamed patient.
They both died after COVID-19 spread through a psychiatric ward at Woodland View, Irvine.
It’s understood that 20 staff and patients were affected by the outbreak.
The campaign group alleged that ‘major breaches’ took place in the events leading up to the tragedies.
And the organisation believe ‘wrongdoing’ took place when notifying the deaths and infection outbreak to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
NHS Ayrshire & Arran recently issued results of an internal review into the deaths, which appeared to absolve themselves of blame.
They concluded that “appropriate processes and procedures were in place” and were “in line with national guidance and the infection control manual”.
However, ASAP say they ‘marked their own homework’.
Now they have written to Professor Hazel Borland, acting CEO at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, about how the health board conducted their investigation.
Police Scotland also confirmed they’ve been requested to carry out enquiries into the deaths by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
Rab Wilson, from ASAP-NHS, has demanded information in relation to how many members of staff on Ward 10, Woodland View, ICH, were “approached and asked to come forward to provide witness statements” for the health board’s report “other than the Senior Charge Nurse”.
Mr Wilson is also demanding to know “how many independent witness statements were provided by members of Ward 10 staff ” and “referenced” in the making of the report.
He also asks: “If no staff whatsoever from Ward 10, other than the Senior Charge Nurse (SCN), were asked to provide witness statements for this report, why was that?
“Why out of 20-plus staff was only the SCN asked to provide witness material to this report?”
Mr Wilson claims the deaths of his friend and former colleague Mr Alexander, from Minishant, and the unnamed patient were “totally avoidable and preventable”.
He added: “The public will be well aware of NHS A&A’s dire history of covering up events that are detrimental to ‘organisational reputation.’
“I look forward to clear answers to these questions.”
A spokesperson for NHS Ayrshire and Arran confirmed that Mr Wilson’s recent correspondence to them is being treated as a Freedom of Information request and is in “due process at this time”.