NHS health boards were not consulted before John Swinney announced they would be scrapped as part of an SNP cost-saving drive, the Record can reveal.
The First Minister used his Programme for Government speech on September 1 to confirm speculation he would work to reduce the number of regional boards from 14 to just two. But an NHS campaigner has now uncovered that none of the health boards involved were formally consulted on the plans before Swinney's announcement.
Rural patients fear central belt travel
Peter Todd, from Caithness, said he was one of a number of Scots living in rural areas who are concerned they will be "forced to travel to the central belt" for treatment as a result of the mergers.
Responses to freedom of information requests from each of the 14 boards show none had any official documents to disclose one week after Swinney's speech.
In one response, NHS Forth Valley said it had "not been involved in any consultations" which would lead to be it being scrapped. NHS Greater Glasgow, the largest health board in Scotland, said it had "no information on consultation arrangements and timescales following the First Minster’s proposals". NHS Highland also said it was "not consulted on the proposal before it was announced on September 1".
Todd said: "As a patient who's forced to travel to Inverness hospitals because of services being centralisation, does this frankly absurd proposal by John Swinney mean patients in the Highlands will be forced to travel to the central belt?"
MSPs and experts question the plan
David Green, Lib Dem MSP for Caithness, said: "Ministers should be focusing on delivering care close to home, not a big bureaucratic reorganisation."
"I haven't found a single doctor or patient in my constituency who thinks care will improve if they're part of the same health board as Glasgow. If you live in Thurso or Wick it's already a desperately long way to Inverness."
"My constituents currently face long waiting times and even longer journeys. Tackling that should be where ministerial attention is focused."
It comes after the SNP leader faced accusations of offering preferential treatment to the bosses of NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Lothian over the proposed mergers. Insiders reported last week that Swinney has been holding almost weekly discussions with Professor Jann Gardner, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Professor Caroline Hiscox, chief executive of NHS Lothian.
An NHS source said: "At a time when there is so much uncertainty and so little information about the new two health board model, you can see why it is unsettling for people outside those health boards."
Government defends reform plans
James Mitchell, a professor of public policy at the University of Edinburgh, said there needed to be "openness" about the SNP's public sector reform plans. He added: "Having studied previous reorganisations in detail, this looks comparatively incoherent, lacks necessary preparatory work given timescale and yet this is rushed."
Angela Constance, the Health Secretary, said yesterday the NHS status quo was "no longer an option". The SNP minister said: "Scotland currently has 14 territorial health boards, 32 local authorities, 31 health and social care partnerships and 84 accountable officers across our health and care system."
"There are too many layers, too much duplication and too much variation for patients based on where they live."
Constance added: "Will the unique needs of rural and island communities be lost in a bigger structure? No. We know our rural and island communities need bespoke arrangements, and we will take that into account as we develop these proposals. Reform will not mean rural communities are forgotten."
"Is this a cover for job losses? No. Simplifying our NHS is not a numbers exercise, and I will not begin this work from a spreadsheet. We have commitments to no compulsory redundancies and to fair work principles, and they will hold."
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Ministers have been clear that development of detailed proposals, supported by a full business case, will include engagement with NHS Boards, staff representatives, trade unions, local government, Integration Authorities, social care partners and the public."
