MSP fears recruits will be put off NHS

ALLEGATIONS of widespread bullying of staff at all levels within NHS Highland will destroy its recruitment prospects, according to a north politician.

Conservative Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain based his warning on the surge of complaints triggered by four whistle-blowing clinicians – and a staff letter spelling out the bruising extent of financial cuts the board is making to tackle its latest budget crisis.

The staff letter, from Raigmore Hospital's head of acute services Katherine Sutton, lists key savings targets including drugs cost containment of £2.2 million in oncology, haematology, neurology, rheumatology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology.

It also confirms an aim to restrict spending on locum and agency staff by managing costs "within available budgets".

Mr Mountain said: "NHS Highland spent almost £8.8 million last year on agency nurses – a 44 per cent increase in five years. How are they going to make savings?

"The only way to make savings on agency staff is to recruit people – and would you work for NHS Highland in the current climate of alleged bullying? Would you work for NHS Highland when it's closing down services? I don't see them reducing the need for locum and agency staff."

He said short-term savings meant frontline cuts.

"What we don't want to be doing is making savings on the frontline," Mr Mountain said.

"We need to ensure the frontline is operating to maximum capacity and we're making the savings within the administration and the management. If you're not doing that you're not going to run a proper service."

He said the letter had been leaked by a member of staff sickened by frontline service cuts.

He added: "The people on the front line are running to keep up. They're doing everything in their power to deliver the services that they want to deliver and we widely expect, and they're being let down by management who can't get a grip of the fiscal situation."

Mr Mountain said the Scottish Government's latest NHS Highland debt write-off was not a long-term solution to the board's financial woes.

It followed a report from Scotland's public body financial watchdog, Auditor General Caroline Gardner, who concluded she had "serious reservations" about the board's ability to make necessary changes to balance the books in future.

NHS Highland has projected a £19 million to £23 million budget gap this year. It needed a £15 million Scottish Government loan in 2017/18 and is working on a long-term recovery plan.

A spokeswoman for NHS Highland said: "In common with many parts of the NHS, recruitment is a significant concern for us in general and for some specialities in particular.

"This is something we closely monitor and have a number of ongoing actions including redesign of services.

"Recruitment fairs have also been held and have gone well.

"We don't know what the impact these allegations will have on recruitment."

Ross, Skye and Lochaber SNP MP Ian Blackford welcomed the debt write-off.

"The step to remove the legacy debt from NHS Highland is a fantastic gesture by a government that is clearly committed to deliver for people in the Highlands and Islands," he said. "It now presents a fantastic opportunity for the health board to press ahead with the delivery of the quality care which we already see day in and day out from the hard-working staff."