The crisis gripping NHS Grampian deepened last night as it emerged staff shortages have extended to the department in charge of disclosing information in an open and transparent way.
The organisation’s freedom of information (FOI) division is “currently severely short staffed” which has led to a delay in releasing details on issues such as funding, staffing, and minutes of backroom discussions between NHS bosses, auditors and SNP ministers.
North-east Labour MSP Richard Baker said the news was concerning because the public relied on FOI laws to properly gauge how efficiently the board was operating.
He said the revelations “strengthened” his call for public sector watchdog Audit Scotland to launch an independent investigation into claims the health board has lost out of millions of pounds worth of government cash.
Earlier this week, the Press and Journal exclusively revealed NHS Grampian received 625 complaints from its own workers about staff shortages.
Mr Baker said: “It is very important that people are able to find out details of the impact of the under-funding on the work of NHS Grampian.
“These people play an important role in ensuring there is transparency for the public in terms of the situation the board is facing.
“This situation strengthens my call for an independent study by Audit Scotland because we cannot get the data we would normally get through FOI because of under-staffing.”
A spokesman for NHS Grampian said the information governance team usually consisted of four full-time and one part-time member of staff.
“Currently the team has one vacancy, and one member off on maternity leave and another on sick leave,” he added.
“Despite the best efforts of the remaining staff to maintain the 20-day target, the increasing volume of FOI inquiries is resulting in a backlog which we are working hard to process.
“Two temporary staff are in training, which will help reduce outstanding inquiries.”
Aberdeen Donside MSP Mark McDonald said NHS Grampian was already audited and he was “confident” that the Scottish Government was providing the board with the funding it required.