'We'll work with NHS Highland', pledges Sturgeon ahead of grilling
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SCOTLAND'S First Minister has given her full backing to NHS Highland boss Elaine Mead as the health chief prepares for another public grilling over poor handling of the cash-strapped health board’s finances.
The Scottish Parliament’s audit committee has taken the unprecedented step of recalling the health authority to give evidence amid concerns its economic woes could cause future spending health cuts, particularly at Raigmore Hospital.
Mrs Mead and the chairman Garry Coutts and finance director Nick Kenton are being summoned to Holyrood after the committee was dissatisfied with the answers given at an earlier inquiry in Inverness.
But speaking in Inverness yesterday during a visit by the full cabinet, Nicola Sturgeon said she still had confidence in the board’s management.
She said: "I have got confidence in the management and the board of NHS Highland and we will work with NHS Highland to make sure that they are delivering services to the standards and equalities that they are expected to.
"The public audit committee is a key part of the scrutiny of public bodies, not just the NHS, that are responsible for spending large amounts of taxpayers money. So that’s a critical part of assuring parliament and by extension the public that these services are being delivered properly."
A £2.5 million loan was secured to allow NHS Highland to break even in 2013/14 but a report by watchdog Audit Scotland revealed the health authority’s chief executive, Elaine Mead, and its finance director, Nick Kenton, did not formally advise the board about the payment.
The committee is investigating why NHS Highland’s financial situation was not formally discussed with its members when the situation surfaced in December.
Miss Sturgeon’s visit yesterday included Inverness Railway Station and a drop-in to a "Young People’s Summit" organised by the Scottish Government at the Iron Works.
The First Minister marked the launch of the new Caledonian Sleeper train franchise by incoming operator Serco. Chris Lawton, program manager at Serco Group, said the on-board menu had been transformed to take advantage of Scotland’s larder.
Staff will also be wearing new tartan and tweed uniforms designed by Glasgow fashion label ten30 in "midnight teal", the new colour of the train.
Designer Alan Moore said: "There is a romanticism and mysticism about Scotland that the sleeper definitely is emblematic of and the idea was to use a palette that reflected the landscape of Scotland.
"We wanted it to be authoritative but they’re not the police and their not going to a wedding so we wanted something somewhere in the middle. The staff do an amazing job and I wanted them to be proud of what they wore."
