NHS Highland bosses to be questioned at Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh over moves to tackle bullying
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The chairman and chief executive of NHS Highland are to face questioning from MSPs next week.
Boyd Robertson and Iain Stewart will appear before the Scottish Parliament's health and sport committee on Tuesday.
They will be joined by the health board's chief officer David Park, interim director of finance David Garden, medical director Boyd Peters and George Morrison, depute chief officer of Argyll and Bute health and social care partnership, which is also part of NHS Highland.
They are likely to face questioning about their response to the Sturrock report into claims of widespread bullying within NHS Highland going back years.
They may also be asked about new claims by former non-executive director Myra Duncan who told the Inverness Courier this week that she was forced out in 2017 by the behaviour of two board members.
It was also reported this week that, after an apparent attempt by non-executive directors – whose job is to question the processes and policies of an organisation – to question management style, they were sent a two-line letter from directors, again in 2017, "expressing our unreserved support for the chairman and chief executive".
At the time that would have been David Alston and Elaine Mead respectively.
Dr Iain Kennedy, one of the whistle-blowers who first brought the allegations of bullying to public attention, branded the letter an "attempt to circle the wagons" rather than address geneuine concerns.
At next week's parliamentary meeting NHS bosses are also likely to be questioned about receiving brokerage for the second year in a row (cash from the Scottish Government to balance the books) and concerns over the potential impact of Brexit on the workforce.
