‘Highland gentleman’ set to step down as chairman of NHS Highland as Professor Boyd Robertson says it is time to 'pass on the baton to a new chair'

The respected chairman of NHS Highland is to step down from his role by March 2023 after helping to steer the health board through two of the biggest crises in its history.

The Scottish Government has started the search for someone to take over from Professor Boyd Robertson in the demanding £33,052 role chairing the cash-strapped health board.

He is leaving the role just eight months before completing what would have been a full four year term.

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Tackling bullying and the pandemic

Professor Robertson took on the job on an interim basis in February of 2019, later confirmed in December, with the health board in deep crisis over a culture of bullying which was then quickly followed by the Covid pandemic.

Less than three months into the job as interim chairman the Sturrock report was published, confirming the basis for the allegations of bullying, and forcing action from the board.

Eventually victims were awarded more than £2.8 million and offered psychological therapy while the board implemented a comprehensive culture plan to tackle ingrained bullying in the workplace.

Then in 2020 an even bigger crisis loomed with the Covid pandemic that saw the entire health service convulsed and the country thrown into lockdown from which the country only fully emerged in February of this year.

Time is right

Professor Robertson said: “By that time [March 2023], I will have been chair for four years and will have realised most of the objectives I set myself on being asked to take on the role of acting chair in February 2019 and on being appointed chair in December 2019.

“I believe there has been a transformation in the operations and performance of the Board during that period.

“That has been particularly evident in terms of leadership, governance, finance and culture and has been recognised by the Parliament’s Public Audit Committee and by the Scottish Government decision to de-escalate the board.

“With a five year strategy recently adopted, new hospitals opened this year in Aviemore and Broadford, a National Treatment Centre nearing completion in Inverness and major redesign projects well underway in Caithness and Lochaber, I feel the time is right to pass on the baton to a new chair who can continue the journey of transformation and implement the new Together We Care strategy.”

A victim of severe bullying Brian Devlin described Professor Robertson as a “Highland gentleman” saying that his “respect, compassion and dignity” did as much as anything to bring change to the board.

“First of all I am very sorry to see that Boyd Robertson is leaving his post as chairman,” he said. “I and all of the whistleblowers found him to be a very kind and considerate man who stood beside the victims of bullying.

“He was greatly helped by being a new face on the board and had no part in the epidemic of bullying that marbled the health board previously and I would hope that the same values are seen in the next chair.

“I think this is a time for a fresh start with a fresh face on the board and I think it would be a disaster if anyone who was part of or around for the culture of denial of bullying became the chair.”

He added: “It is good that NHS Highland has moved from level four to level three in special measures but I think it is important to be vigilant to make sure things don’t regress again.”

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