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Councillor accuses NHS Highland of “not knowing what they are doing”

Bosses at Raigmore have pleaded with relatives to limit their calls to wards
Bosses at Raigmore have pleaded with relatives to limit their calls to wards

A senior north councillor has accused NHS Highland of “not knowing what they are doing” in providing adult care services.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Aird and Loch Ness, has been an outspoken critic of the health board – and said yesterday that she had concerns about their management of adult care provision.

She spoke out as the Highland Council’s education, care and adult services committee considered a draft plan for care management.

The document outlines planned provision for adult care services by NHS Highland up until 2017.

NHS Highland’s adult care service has been under increasing scrutiny since it was transferred from Highland Council in 2012.

Mrs Davidson said she was concerned that the plan was still only a draft – despite being “halfway through” an initial five year spell.

She said: “If the NHS doesn’t know what they are going to do over the next two and half years then that’s not good enough.

“Everything that is in the report can be simplified down to what are we going to do?”

Jan Baird, NHS Highland’s director of adult care, said: “The NHS is very clear in what we need to do.

“Where we’ve failed is maybe in not communicating that back to you.”

She also reminded councillors that partnership working would be vital as the plans are taken forward.

Mrs Davidson also discussed criticism of the health board’s handling of finances, saying she hoped that a “recovery plan” was in place to safeguard adult services.

Last week NHS Highland bosses were accused of “gross misconduct” after criticism of their financial management by the Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee.

Committee convener Hugh Henry said that chief executive Elaine Mead and finance director Nick Kenton had treated board members “like mushrooms” – by keeping them in the dark until the last minute over the need for a Scottish Government bailout.

Councillor David Alston yesterday told the council committee that they “served a vital scrutiny role based on mutual respect and trust”.

Mr Alston, who sits on the health board, added: “Scrutiny descended into personal attacks on officials last week.

“We need to avoid that and continue in our current vein and not repeat the mistakes made at the Scottish Parliament.”