The political fallout surrounding the crisis gripping NHS Grampian continued in the Scottish Parliament yesterday.
The first minister was urged to ensure that the new chairman lives and works in the region.
Rather than give that assurance, Alex Salmond appealed for everyone to rally behind new chief executive Malcolm Wright.
The health board has failed to meet key waiting time targets as it struggles to recruit consultants and other specialist staff.
The situation came to a head with the shock resignation of chairman Bill Howatson and the early retirement of chief executive Richard Carey.
North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said the loss of the board’s “entire local leadership” had damaged staff morale and local confidence in what historically had been an “exemplary local health service”.
When he appealed to Mr Salmond to ensure that the new chairman lives and works locally, the first minister replied Mr Howatson’s replacement would have to go “through the proper public appointments process”.
Mr Salmond said everyone should recognise, as Mr Carey said in his announcement to staff, there had been a breakdown in relationships between some senior clinicians and senior management.
Mr Carey concluded – “as others did” – that the way forward was to have new leadership, he said.
“We should go forward from there and rally behind the new chief executive as he addresses the questions, which he fully intends to do,” Mr Salmond said.
“Malcolm Wright comes into post with a substantial track record on addressing such concerns.”
Afterwards Mr Macdonald accused the first minister of dodging the question on local leadership.
“Most local people believe that the new chair of the board must live and work in Grampian if he or she is to have an understanding of the particular needs of health care in the north-east, and those needs must be their number one priority,” he said.
“This can only be achieved by local leadership, and the fact that Alex Salmond is dodging these kinds of questions will make staff and patients in the north-east very nervous.”