Bosses at NHS Highland will be grilled about their financial management today when an influential Scottish Parliament committee visits Inverness.
Members of the public audit committee will quiz four top health board executives over allegations of “gross misconduct”.
In November, the MSPs accused NHS Highland bosses of treating board members “like mushrooms” by keeping them in the dark about the need for a £2.5million loan from the Scottish Government so that it could break even.
Massive overspends at the north’s flagship hospital, Raigmore in Inverness, were a major factor in the need for the loan, known as brokerage.
The financial woes have continued this year, and tomorrow at NHS Highland’s own board meeting, members will be told that there is a £7.8million overspend at Raigmore, although the overall deficit has been cut.
Those giving evidence today will include chairman Garry Coutts, chief executive Elaine Mead, director of finance Nick Kenton and chief internal auditor Chris Brown.
NHS Highland board members said they were “outraged” at the criticisms levelled by the public audit committee, and Mr Coutts called its claims “completely and utterly unfounded”.
After the NHS Highland evidence, the committee will hear from Audit Scotland officials, including Fraser McKinlay, director and controller of audit, and assistant directors Angela Canning and Stephen Boyle.
The committee session will be staged at Highland Council’s debating chamber at the local authority’s Glenurquhart Road headquarters.
This is despite the reported reluctance of the council’s chief executive, Steve Barron, to allow the chamber to be used.
There are still spaces available at the door for members of the public who want to attend.
The committee starts at 9.30am.
Public audit committee convener, Paul Martin, said: “The Scottish Parliament’s public audit committee holds to account the people trusted with spending public money on public services.
“It is important we hold our meeting in Inverness as we know the local community has been concerned about the financial issues of NHS Highland and would want the opportunity to hear what NHS Highland has to say.”
There will not be video stream of the meeting online, however an official report of the meeting will be produced.