The chairman of a north-east patients’ rights body has warned that merging the north of Scotland’s health boards could worsen the workload of already strained NHS Grampian clinicians.
It was reported yesterday that a massive overhaul of the health service was underway with proposals being drawn up to create three ‘super boards’ for the east, north and west of Scotland.
The Scottish Government has appointed three NHS chief executives as ‘implementation leads’ to help merge and share resources and staffing.
Yet the Scottish Government has said it has “no plans” to cut “patient-facing boards”, while insisting their “focus is on promoting greater collaboration between NHS boards.”
In the north, six health boards, NHS Highland, NHS Grampian, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Tayside and NHS Western Isles already work closely together as part of the North of Scotland Planning Group.
NHS Grampian confirmed that chief executive Malcolm Wright has been appointed as the new “implementation lead” for the north of Scotland.
Meanwhile, NHS Lothian chief executive Tim Davidson has been appointed to lead for the east while NHS Ayrshire chief John Burns will conduct the role in the west.
Douglas Cusine, chairman of the Patient Action Co-Ordinating Team, said: “I suspect if this were to go ahead, there would be a loss of staff from the frontline at NHS Grampian and it would make it more difficult for people to travel to different parts of the country.”
Former NHS Grampian medical director Donnie Ross added that he believed the appointments of implementation leads would eventually bring full amalgamations of the health boards.
A statement on behalf of NHS Boards in the North of Scotland Planning Group confirmed that all the different organisations were currently working in partnership to prepare “regional delivery plans” which will include service and workforce planning across the region.
It added: “These ongoing collaborations include cancer networks, cardiac services, child and adolescent mental health services and neonatal services.
“All six boards work together to connect across boundaries to deliver sustainable, high-quality services as close to home as possible for all patients in the North.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Our focus is on promoting greater collaboration between NHS boards, and with partners, to deliver modern, sustainable health and social care services.
“Regional and national delivery plans will also be delivered to improve services.”
