A Fife MSP has expressed “extreme concern” at the latest allegations surrounding the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.
Kirkcaldy MSP David Torrance said he will be raising the issues with Health Secretary Alex Neil as well as with NHS Fife chief executive John Wilson to ensure that the problems are adequately addressed.
The Courier reported on Friday that union leaders have accused NHS bosses of redeploying staff to give Scottish Government officials the impression that they had a full staffing complement.
Public sector union Unison accused NHS Fife of “wholly inappropriate deception” after it emerged that backroom medical staff were redeployed as frontline nurses during an inspection. However, NHS Fife insist it is “routine practice” for suitably trained and qualified staff to be redeployed to the frontlines and strongly refuted any suggestion that staff were brought in because of the Scottish Government visit.
Mr Torrance said: “I am extremely concerned about these issues and will be raising them with Alex Neil as well as with John Wilson, to ensure that the problems are adequately addressed.
“I will be emphasising that additional funding provided to the NHS Fife by the Scottish Government should be used to alleviate staff shortages in those areas acknowledged to be of particular concern within Victoria Hospital.
“I also intend to arrange a meeting with the relevant unions in order to listen to their members’ concerns and help build up a true picture of what is really going on at Victoria Hospital.
“I look forward to receiving the monthly update report from John Wilson to see how quickly measures are being put in place to bring about a satisfactory solution to all the problems highlighted recently in the media as well as by many of my constituents.
“In order to help reassure everyone affected, the Scottish Government is monitoring the situation closely and will be looking for answers to explain why the additional government funding provided has not been used to resolve these issues to date.”