NHS Forth Valley: Reaction from MSPs and former health board chair to special measures implementation

Last Wednesday evening in the Holyrood chamber MSPs, who were well versed on the litany of complaints, spoke of staff being “bullied, broken and burnt out”, there was talk of an “unsafe, toxic, war zone” in Forth Valley Royal Hospital and an “irretrievable breakdown in relations between staff and leaders”.

However, like others, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf had nothing but praise for the frontline staff, saying the decision to escalate the board to stage four was “no reflection on the hard working and exceptional staff”.

But Falkirk East MSP Michelle Thomson questioned if the board and chair were “ready to demonstrate that it has what it takes to turn the situation around?”.

The minister replied: “I made my expectations very clear. We have many strategies and documents, but they are only as good as their implementation. That is why I have asked the assurance board to ensure that we are not just hearing words of comfort and reassurance but seeing tangible improvements from the top—from the leadership—that permeate throughout the organisation.”

Welcoming the intervention, Scottish Greens MSP for Central Scotland Gillian Mackay said she recently met with the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) to discuss their concerns about the leadership and culture within NHS Forth Valley, adding: “I hope this will be the start of progress to address the legitimate concerns raised. I recently met with RCN staff who expressed serious concerns of unsafe practices and a toxic cultural environment. I would encourage the Scottish Government and the board to take into account staff feelings and ensure that Unison and any other trade union bodies are at the heart of culture improvement discussions.

“I hope the special measures lead to improved and consistent services for the people of Forth Valley as they regain their confidence in the local health services where the doctors, nurses and supporting staff continue, despite the circumstances, to do their best to provide exemplary care.”

However, one MSP thought the decision to move to special measures should have been taken sooner. Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservatives’ health spokesman, said it “should have come last year when the allegations of toxic bullying emerged”.

“We need a root-and-branch investigation to eradicate this culture and hold to account the people responsible,” he said. “The fact that NHS Forth Valley is underperforming so badly is a reflection on Humza Yousaf’s inadequate leadership of Scotland’s NHS, rather than over-stretched, dedicated frontline staff.”

Meanwhile, the man who was at the helm when Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert was delivered has spoken of his concerns at the current situation.

Ian Mullen was an NHS chair for almost two decades and the former Falkirk pharmacist was at the forefront of driving change in healthcare across Forth Valley. This week he said: “I have found the news coming out of NHS Forth Valley to be hugely upsetting. We worked so hard over so many years to move NHS Forth Valley from a divided health system with two - and through no fault of their own - gradually failing hospitals, to in 2011 the most technologically advanced hospital in Europe. The quality of care for the 300,000 people in Forth Valley was dramatically improved, and - just as importantly - the population were rightly pleased with their new hospital, and its facilities.

"Clearly, the NHS across the UK is struggling for several reasons. Waiting times for planned procedures are ridiculously long. When I was appointed chair in 2002, waiting times for hip replacements, for example, were wo and a half years - and we got them down to 12 weeks.

"Nevertheless, NHS Forth Valley is clearly in a very difficult situation. I was an NHS Scotland Chair for 19 years, and I know how unusual it is for a Health Secretary to be quite so disparaging about the leadership and the culture in NHS Forth Valley.

“NHS staff work incredibly hard - often well above and beyond what they are paid to deliver - but the culture within a health board is incredibly important. That local culture is what encourages and empowers NHS staff to deliver - and to go on delivering for patients in the most difficult of times.”

He added that, in his view, it was imperative for NHS leaders to create the appropriate culture in the organisation. “Leadership for me is about creating and articulating a vision, and then encouraging others to buy into that vision. I genuinely felt that transparent leadership was important for both staff and public. At times, that means you have to accept the genuine complaints when things don't go as well as you would hope, but if you can establish and develop the correct culture everyone benefits - staff at all levels, patients and the wider Forth Valley public. I spent time with clinical staff, portering and domestic staff, because in my view everyone needs to buy into the cultural vision for the organisation.”