UPDATE – Bullying latest: MSP demands answers on compensation for NHS Highland staff
An MSP is demanding to know if the Scottish Government was asked to step in with a compensation scheme for victims of bullying and harassment in NHS Highland.
David Stewart, Highlands and Islands MSP, says he wants a simple yes or no answer to a question – but almost three weeks after asking it, he is still waiting for a reply from the health secretary.
Mr Stewart, who is also Labour’s shadow public health minister, put down a Parliamentary Question on November 26. He wanted to know if the Scottish Government was asked by NHS Highland to step in to fund a compensation scheme for bullying and harassment victims.
Mr Stewart claims that despite health secretary Jeane Freeman saying it would be answered on December 11, she has now said she will reply “as soon as possible”.
The MSP is at a loss as to why the answer is taking so long.
“I do not understand why it cannot be answered in the time allocated,” he said.
“Cynics might suggest the answer might well pop up sometime over the festive period, but I am hopeful it will be answered while the parliament is still sitting this week.
“I would have thought it was a simple yes or no answer.”
Mr Stewart previously said it was a blow that NHS Highland had announced that victims of the bullying and harassment scandal would have to seek compensation through the legal system.
Mr Stewart said: “I know there are former employees who’ve lost or left their jobs and, in some cases, had their careers ruined and will be unable to go to an industrial tribunal due to a time bar on cases and will be unable to afford a civil case.
“In September, at the Scottish Parliament’s health and sport committee, NHS Highland’s chairman Professor Boyd Robertson, told me that compensation was being considered, but he could not give a definitive answer about how it would be tackled. That gave people some hope which has now been taken away.”
Mr Stewart said that he knew NHS Highland’s financial state meant that it could not afford a compensation scheme.
He also explained the Sturrock review into bullying allegations had highlighted that maybe some form of independent review panel might be established for a limited period to bring closure for people who appeared to have suffered some financial loss because of alleged inappropriate handling of their situations and were in financial difficulty as a result.
The MSP has written to Jeane Freeman and NHS Highland’s chief executive Iain Stewart asking what has happened to that suggestion.
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Fiona Hogg, NHS Highland’s director of HR and organisational development, said: “NHS Highland has made clear what the appropriate routes for claims of financial compensation are.
"There has been no change in this since we confirmed this at the November board meeting. I would like to stress that this is not in any way linked to the financial position of the board. We must ensure due process is followed and decisions of this nature are taken in a structured and considered way that has legal and procedural validity, given these are public funds.
“We are working on the details of the healing process, what this will involve and how it will be delivered.
"This is taking longer than initially expected as we are listening to all of the feedback we have received, including that of Mr Stewart. This further consideration includes to what extent external resources can be used to review cases which are presented to us and also to deliver the support and psychological therapies which may be required.
"We will make a further statement once we have an updated proposal to share.”
The Scottish Government has been asked to comment on Mr Stewart's claims.
