Highlands and Islands MSP, Edward Mountain, today called upon NHS Highland to take a more ‘personal and compassionate approach’ with staff who are struggling with unbearable work-related stress or are victims of bullying.
Edward Mountain raised the personal experiences of a constituent, who would like to remain anonymous, who feels failed and ignored by the NHS Highland staff complaints process.
The Highlands and Islands MSP is seeking an emergency meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health to ensure the problems facing the constituent are resolved urgently and with more support.
Edward Mountain said: “In October 2018 I was contacted by a mother worried about her child. A mother who was worried her child was finding life too much. Her child was a nurse. A nurse who was struggling at work.
I contacted NHS Highland and when I finally got hold of the Chairman of the Board, I was told not to worry there was a process and the nurses’ manager would make contact. They didn’t and matters dragged on.
Only last week I was approached again by that nurse’s mother. Again, I wrote to NHS Highland and I was told not to worry, a process was in hand. I replied saying not good enough and that a more personal and compassionate approach was needed.
NHS Highland still haven’t replied to that request. You have the correspondence, Cabinet Secretary let’s see what you do.”
Edward Mountain raised the issue with the Cabinet Secretary for Health during a Holyrood debate on standing up for NHS staff and patients.
In the same speech, Edward Mountain MSP also criticised the impact that long waiting times for hip operations under the Scottish Government are having on patients.
One constituent was told they would have to wait 46 weeks for a hip operation.
Edward Mountain described how the constituent has chosen “to raid their savings and pay £11,000 for a private operation. £11,000 they shouldn’t have to pay because they have paid all their tax and expect, like I do, for health care at the point of delivery.”
