Sketch: Poetry comes into motion over NHS freedom of information policy

By TOM PETERKIN
Published on Friday 24 February 2012 01:26

IT WAS a day for declaring interests at Holyrood yesterday. First off, Alex Salmond declared that he was a “good friend” of an Ayrshire poet who writes in the Scots Language.

For once, the First Minister was not referring to, nor quoting from, the National Bard.

Instead, he was speaking about a contemporary poet from Cumnock, whose expert sleuthing has resulted in an investigation into Freedom of Information policy at NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

As his entry on the Scottish Book Trust website explains, Rab Wilson is “currently ah am daein ‘Creative Writing’ athin a mental health settin wi NHS Ayrshire and Arran.” In this case, his First Ministerial name check arose from his involvement in NHS Ayrshire and Arran rather than his interest in poetry.

Wilson is not only a friend of the First Minister and a Robert Burns Writing Fellow, but he is also a psychiatric nurse with NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

It was through his work as a nurse that he began a five-year battle to force the health board to release reports into serious incidents.

His dogged determination has resulted in the Scottish Government ordering an urgent review into Ayrshire and Arran’s Freedom of Information policy after it held back more than 50 reports on serious incidents at its hospitals.

It was outrage over these failings that generated most heat at First Minister’s Questions yesterday with the local MSP John Scott (Conservative) and the Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie both expressing their concern.

It was Scott’s colleague on the Tory benches Murdo Fraser, who was the second MSP to declare an interest – also triggered by a serious issue.

“I would like to declare an interest as a Rangers debenture holder,” Fraser said, before moving on to Craig Whyte’s ownership of his favourite football team.

“Would the First Minister encourage the Scottish Football Association to review urgently their rules about who are fit and proper persons to hold controlling interests in our football clubs?” Fraser asked.

Salmond did not endorse Fraser’s suggestion but said recent news from Ibrox had been “very, very concerning.”

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