A last minute decision to cancel NHS Grampian’s annual public review meeting has been condemned by a north-east Labour MSP.
Lewis Macdonald said he was furious that the Scottish Government had postponed the event, scheduled for Monday, until January 12 because local people would be denied the opportunity to grill outgoing officials Richard Carey, chief executive, and chairman Bill Howatson on the board’s staffing difficulties.
Mr Macdonald accused Health Secretary Alex Neil, who was supposed to be chairing the meeting in Aberdeen, of “dodging tough questions about his role in the health service crisis”.
The Scottish Government has rejected the allegation and said the minister would be in the city on Monday to meet patients, clinicians and NHS Grampian management.
The health secretary has insisted that he and First Minister Alex Salmond were only told about Mr Howatson’s resignation on the day he announced it – October 14.
Mr Macdonald said: “The NHS Grampian annual public review would have been chaired by Alex Neil, who has been at the heart of this whole sorry saga.
“It would have been an ideal opportunity for him to hear what the public in Grampian want from their local health services.
“It would also have allowed the public to interrogate Alex Neil on his claim that he did not know in advance of Bill Howatson’s resignation.
“Now Alex Neil is dodging having to answer those questions.”
Mr Salmond, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, has appealed for everyone to rally behind new chief executive Malcolm Wright.
A government spokeswoman said: “Given recent changes to a number of senior personnel in NHS Grampian, along with the publication of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland report on care at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary scheduled for December, the Grampian Annual Review is planned for January 12.
“This will allow for the review to give full consideration of the conclusions of the report, with members of the new management team in place and ensure that proper scrutiny is applied as the public would expect.”
But Mr Macdonald said the explanation was “complete rubbish” and no excuse for preventing the public from questioning the three men because Mr Carey and Mr Howatson would be in post until the end of the year.