NHS Grampian has apologised after missing a crucial word out of an email in error.
Instead of telling patients it was writing to ask opinions on the closure of Hopeman and Burghead GP practices, it said that “it was not” asking for views.
Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross said the clerical error made it appear that the health board was disinterested in the opinions of patients.
The community has already come together in opposition to any plan to close the GP surgeries.
NHS Grampian wrote to Mr Ross to apologise, however, he has not accepted the apology.
Instead he has accused NHS Grampian of revealing its true intention in the letter, in that, it wants to close both the Hopeman and Burghead practices.
Lossiemouth-based Moray Coast Medical Practice has proposed shutting its Hopeman and Burghead practices and is asking patients to make the eight-mile journey instead.
NHS Grampian had written to patients asking them their views.
But when it was outlining why it was writing the letter the author made a mistake.
NHS Grampian left out the word “only” in its letter to patients.
One word of a difference
What was sent: “The aim of the consultation was not to ask people to vote on whether they thought the Hopeman and Burghead branch surgeries should remain open, but to determine whether the mitigations in place were sufficient to address concerns raised.”
What was meant to be sent: “The aim of the consultation was not only to ask people…”
However, the Highlands and Islands MSP was not satisfied with the answer, saying he felt the health board was now “covering up” after revealing its true intentions.
He said: “While NHS Grampian claim they missed out a word in their letter to me, many local residents believe they are covering up for making their true position known in a public document.
Ross tells NHS Grampian community support is overwhelming
“The community voted overwhelmingly to support the retention of these two practices but from their initial response to me the chief executive of NHS Grampian suggested it was never the intention to gauge the support of keeping these surgeries open.”
He continued: “It looked as though NHS Grampian had failed to be upfront all along about their consultation.
“Now the health board have only created unnecessary confusion, by embarrassingly claiming that they missed out a key detail in the first place.”
The health board apologised in a letter to Mr Ross, saying the word “only” had been missed out in error.
