Senior board members will remain at crisis-hit NHS Grampian to implement improvements following a major probe into the running of the health authority’s flagship hospital.
The news follows calls by leading medics for further high-level exits after chief executive Richard Carey revealed he would step down after 10 years at the helm.
Following last week’s announcement, Dr Izhar Khan, chairman of the area medical committee, and Mr Norman Binnie, chairman of the consultants’ sub-committee, said Mr Carey’s departure did not go far enough.
They said other executive members of the board – including medical director Dr Nick Fluck, director of finance Alan Gray, and director of nursing and quality Elinor Smith – should be “considering their positions” in light of failures at NHS Grampian and the damage to staff morale.
Yesterday, an NHS Grampian spokesman responded to calls for further resignations saying board executives would focus on taking forward recommendations in a Healthcare Improvement Scotland review due to be delivered early next month.
The report follows a major inspection into practices at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary triggered after a consultant raised concerns directly with Health Secretary Alex Neil.
The NHS Grampian spokesman said: “In his letter Mr Carey last week called on staff to be mutually respectful of one another’s opinions and contributions and to unite behind the organisation in taking forward the recommendations of the Healthcare Improvement Scotland review.
“That is what the board’s executives are focused on.”
The report will be published around the time Mr Carey’s interim successor, NHS troubleshooter Malcolm Wright, arrives to take over.
Announcing his departure last week, the outgoing chief executive said it had been a “great disappointment” that he had lost the respect of a group of senior clinicians at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
His departure followed months of unrest at ARI, with some clinicians becoming increasingly vocal over staff shortages and fears for standards in patient care.
In the accident and emergency department alone, there are three consultant vacancies with a fourth due to leave at the start of the year. Four mid-range doctor posts have also to be filled.
Mr Carey is the third high profile figure to leave, following board chairman Bill Howatson and medical director Roelf Dijkhuizen.