NHS slammed over foreign trip while service is in crisis

THE beleaguered boss of crisis-torn NHS Highland and four other senior managers have spent most of this week on a business trip to Amsterdam – infuriating unions and staff at the health authority.

Chief executive Elaine Mead and the rest of the Highland delegation have been attending the four-day "Lean Health Care Transformation Summit Europe" at the Beurs van Berlage venue in the Dutch city.

But the trip has been branded by angry staff as a "jolly" for Ms Mead, who steps down from the £140,000-£145,000 a year job in December.

The news was greeted with dismay by unions and politicians at a time of unprecedented disruption for NHS Highland.

Whistle-blowers have claimed there is a culture of systemic bullying at the organisation which is also crippled by a financial crisis.

One of the leading whistle-blowers, Dr Jonathan Ball said: "Given that the health board states that staff are its greatest asset and it values staff so highly, the team of whistle-blowers and supporting colleagues are staggered that the health board is not at its headquarters investigating and rectifying the serious bullying culture which has been identified.

"Actions speak a lot louder than words.

"We’re also extremely disappointed that the health board is misleading the public by saying it invited us to meet three weeks ago, when the first email inviting all four of us was only received on September 28.

"The health board tactic is clearly to marginalise us and make us appear unreasonable to the public, which is a continuation of the humiliating tactics that this board has used on dedicated staff over a 10-year period and is further evidence of the depths this board will stoop to, to cover up what it’s been doing over the past decade."

Another senior manager, who claims she has been bullied at work, did not wish to be named for fear of dismissal but said: "It’s outrageous that we’re paying for people to attend these conferences two months before they leave the organisation.

"Elaine should be putting her organisation first – and it’s in tatters.

"And yet it’s OK for this group to go on a jolly to Amsterdam. At this time she should be here, putting her organisation first."

Ms Mead is a visiting professor at the University of the Highlands and Islands and a director of the Scottish Institute of Health Management.

She has been promoting a strategy that aims to address the complexities of serving remote areas and a region with an above-average proportion of older people.

The conference is the fourth event of its kind and aims to connect healthcare experts from around the world to share their wisdom.

Part of the sharing is focused on "organisational and personal leadership challenges and successes".

It features interactive learning and workshops, and post-summit hospital visits.

Ms Mead is attending various workshops. The rest of the group are only attending the main conference, which began on Monday.

Due to flight times, according to a spokeswoman, the chief executive left on Sunday and was due to return yesterday. The other four flew out on Monday and were also due to return home yesterday.

The spokeswoman said: "In most cases, health and social care professionals have come to learn from our experiences. This prestigious conference is a further opportunity to share our experiences, to learn from leaders in healthcare transformation and to network.

"We believe it is a good investment to learn from the best in the class. It also provides us with an opportunity to raise the profile of the Highlands which can only be positive as we strive to recruit high calibre staff from across the UK, Europe and further afield."

Ms Mead, who received her invitation last year, was accompanied by senior colleagues Georgia Haire, Alasdair Lawton, Cameron Stark and Katherine Sutton.

The trip has cost NHS Highland £7221.45 – £1897.40 for flights, £2524.05 for accommodation and £2800 entry fee for four of the five delegates.

Ms Mead’s conference ticket was funded by the various international organisers.

Regional Conservative MSP Ed Mountain questioned the board’s priorities.

"I remain convinced the only way we’ll stop the alleged bullying in NHS Highland is for an independent inquiry, which will give those affected the confidence to come forward," he said.

"As we seem to be being denied this, surely the management needs to be focused on addressing this issue."

GMB union regional officer Liz Gordon said: "The silence from Elaine Mead to the bullying allegations has been deafening and shows a casual disregard for those brave enough to come forward.

"She has presided over the NHS during a time of increasingly dubious governance and financial security. It’s a bit like the ship’s going down but the orchestra keeps playing."

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