Scottish ambulance chiefs accused of ‘bullying’

By MELISSA CLARK
Published on 28/01/2013 01:02

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into an alleged campaign of bullying and harassment by Scottish ambulance bosses.

Senior officials at the Scottish Ambulance Service’s (SAS) headquarters in Edinburgh have been accused by staff of bullying and intimidating them at work. The claims were revealed in a letter written to a senior NHS executive.

It has been claimed David Garbutt, SAS chairman, ordered para­medics to move rapid response vehicles that were parked outside the building so he could drive in with his luxury car. However, staff refused to move the emergency vehicles and were allegedly taken into an office and reprimanded.

Another manager has been accused of harassing workers after they signed an open letter complaining about the lack of parking spaces for frontline staff.

Some staff claim they had even received abusive and threatening calls on their mobiles about the parking issue.

The SAS have strongly refuted all allegations and claims made against them. An investigation has now been launched with the details emerging following a question by Labour MSP Jackie Baillie in Holyrood last week.