Furious Nicola Sturgeon orders inquiry into false NHS waiting times

An independent report found NHS Lothian had “masked” the true number of patients having to wait longer than they should by marking them as unavailable.

The report, by professional services firm PwC, found the management culture put staff under pressure to find “tactical solutions” to waiting times rather than tackle the root causes.

It emerged in October last year that NHS Lothian had asked patients to go to appointments in England. When they declined, they were not included on a list of patients awaiting treatment.

According to the report, patients were categorised as unavailable and removed from waiting lists to avoid breaches of the 12-week waiting time guarantee. In one week alone, 1,958 patients were taken off waiting lists.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said: “My reaction to this report is one of disappointment and considerable anger. Waiting times guarantees matter. Patients value them and staff work hard to deliver them. I will not tolerate the manipulation of them.”

Disciplinary proceedings are under way into what could be “serious misconduct”, she said.

“That is completely unacceptable. There is no place in any part of the NHS for a management culture of this type,” she added.

An investigation will be held to “root out” any such practice or culture, she told MSPs.

Lothian MSP David McLetchie said “heads must roll”.

He said: “This report is damning. It points to a management culture which prioritised the doctoring of statistics over the treatment of patients. It is also clear that for such a culture to take hold, pressure must have been exerted by senior management within NHS Lothian on more junior staff.”

Ms Sturgeon said that “unacceptable practices” had now ended in Lothian, with a Scottish Government team being sent in to address problems.

All other NHS boards have assured the health secretary that they act in line with regulations.

However, Ms Sturgeon said each board will now carry out an audit of waiting times management for 2012-13, with the results to be made public.

NHS Lothian chairman Dr Charles Winstanley said: “I accept in full the recommendations from this review and the comments made by the Cabinet secretary. I apologise unreservedly on behalf of the board for these unacceptable practices.

“The Cabinet secretary and I have spoken at length about the actions I have been asked to take, and I can give an absolute assurance that these will be undertaken.”

Board adjusted records

THE NHS Lothian problems first emerged last year, when it was revealed that patients who refused to go for appointments in England had not been included on a list of those waiting 18 weeks for treatment.

The key finding of yesterday’s report, which covered April to December last year, was that the health board had been applying periods of unavailability to some patients inappropriately in order to artificially reduce the number of patients who would otherwise have been reported as breaching waiting times guarantees.

However, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the “clear majority” of patients were being treated within the time limit.