How SNP's culture of secrecy has infected the NHS and is putting patients at risk – Jackie Baillie
Concerns raised by NHS patients and staff must be listened to and investigated, not shut down
Our NHS was founded to ensure access to healthcare doesn’t depend on our ability to pay. For decades, this treasured institution and its extraordinary staff have delivered on those founding principles, but nearly two decades of SNP stewardship have put them at risk.
The pressure on health services is well documented and most of us will have experienced it ourselves or through a loved one. Waiting lists are rising, it’s been one of the worst summers on record in A&E, and GP appointments are like gold dust in too many communities.
Despite the tireless efforts of staff, patients are being let down because of decisions made at the top. Now more than ever, our NHS needs to uphold the highest standards of accountability and openness. That’s why warnings over transparency should be taken very seriously.
Patients ‘just shut down’
In a damning interview, BMA Scotland’s outgoing chair Iain Kennedy described “a culture of cover-up” in our NHS, saying “there's a culture of trying to keep things hidden and to protect the reputation of health boards and ultimately to protect the government”.
Likewise, Scottish Patient Safety Commissioner Karen Titchener warned of a “‘nothing to see here’ culture”, saying patients were “just shut down” and “not listened to”.
Unfortunately these comments ring all too true. Too often when the unthinkable happens, institutions close ranks instead of demanding answers.
We saw this in the response to the tragic deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) – the worst scandal in the history of devolution. The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is in the process of uncovering the truth, but what we already know is indefensible.
The hospital was opened before it was safe amid significant political pressure and a report sounding the alarm was buried. Patients and grieving families were lied to, gaslit and forced to fight for the truth every step of the way. Staff were bullied into silence and whistleblowers were made to fear for their jobs.
Dr Michael Bradnam, a scientist employed by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, told the inquiry he’d been raising concerns about the hospital for almost 15 years without any formal response. The initial failures were catastrophic. So too was the cover-up.
The campaign for ‘Milly’s Law’
In NHS Tayside, disgraced neurosurgeon Sam Eljamel was able to harm patients for years while complaints were overlooked. It’s thought Eljamel harmed up to 200 people, leaving many with life-altering injuries. If patients had been taken seriously right away, others could have been protected.
Log books about his cases were destroyed and the Scottish Information Commissioner reprimanded the board for failing to provide answers. Again, instead of being supported, patients were forced to fight for justice.
People should be able to rely on our NHS – but they should also be able to trust that they will get answers if things do go wrong.
Scottish Labour has long campaigned for “Milly’s Law” in honour of Milly Main, who died at the QEUH in 2017. This would establish an independent public advocate with the authority to investigate incidents. Beyond that, we need to fundamentally reset NHS culture and ensure patient safety is paramount.
Patients and staff must be listened to and their concerns investigated, not shut down. Secrecy and cover-up might be the default for the SNP. It cannot be tolerated in our NHS.
Jackie Baillie MSP is Scottish Labour’s health spokesperson
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