"New culture of respect" need at NHS Highland, says Mountain
A Highland MSP is calling for "a new culture of respect at NHS Highland".
Edward Mountain's call came today (Thursday, June 13), prompted by collation of the Sturrock Report into allegations of bullying.
“I am calling for a new culture of respect at NHS Highland and I believe the health board can resolve the issues of the past by taking a reconciliatory approach.
"I am pleased that the Health Secretary, by her own admission, conceded that the Scottish Government had not handled the situation as well as they could have before the Sturrock Report was commissioned.
"It appears that the Scottish Government are learning from their previous errors and I welcome that.
"We need the Sturrock Report to have a lasting legacy and one that ensures that NHS Highland never suffers from a culture of bullying again.”
During a session of Holyrood General Questions, he asked the Scottish Government "On what date it was first made aware of bullying in NHS Highland, and what action it took.”
The Cabinet Secretary replied: “As the member will know from the response he received to the same question on May 23, a search of all records available from January 1, 2011, shows that the earliest correspondence on file relating to NHS Highland which mentioned the term bullying was received on March 16, 2014.
"This was correspondence addressed to a trade union and copied to the Scottish Government for information only.
"The Scottish Government has proactively engaged with the individual concerned and continues to engage to this day.”
Mr Mountain then asked: “I understand the Board of NHS Highland knew of serious bullying allegations in 2010 and, as you have pointed out, the Scottish Government knew about it in March 2014.
"If the issue had been dealt with properly then, it wouldn’t be the crisis it is today. Does the Cabinet Secretary agree it was a serious failure by the SNP Government that has allowed the situation to develop as it has?”
The Cabinet Secretary replied: “ No I do not agree and despite Mr Mountain’s best efforts, I think that we have handled the situation very well since the commissioning of the Sturrock Report which was prompted by allegations of a culture of bullying, not individual cases, a culture of bullying.”
