Latest news with #NHSNationalServicesScotland
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Surgeon inquiry spends £1m before hearing evidence
More than £1m has been spent on a public inquiry into a disgraced brain surgeon that has not started hearing evidence yet, new figures show. The inquiry into Sam Eljamel, who harmed dozens of patients and left some with life-changing injuries, was launched last month and has racked up £1.08m in costs so far. Eljame was head of neurosurgery at Dundee's Ninewells Hospital until his suspension in December 2013. He resigned a year later and is now believed to be operating in Libya. The inquiry outlay was revealed by Holyrood's finance committee which is investigating the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries in Scotland. Public inquiry into brain surgeon Eljamel launched New Scottish parliament research suggests the total cost of all public inquires launched over the last 18 years, in today's prices, has been £230m so far. On 20 May, MSPs will begin their examination of what spending controls are in place to ensure the taxpayer is getting value for money from the statutory probes. They will hear from Prof Sandy Cameron, who was a panel member on the inquiry into historic abuse of children in care in Jersey. In his written submission, Prof Cameron said keeping on top of legal costs are a big challenge for all inquires. He said: "It has to be recognised that inquiries are a source of substantial income for some large legal firms and as such the question arises as to the extent to which they are motivated to keep costs to a minimum and within budget". The finance committee will also consider a written submission from the logistics and procurement support agency of the health service, NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). In its submission, NHS NSS said the "current processes for monitoring public inquiry costs are inadequate" and revealed it has spent £3.1m in responding to public inquiries, as well as providing around £9m in legal services to other health boards for doing the same since 2021. The health board suggest the introduction of mandatory interim recommendations in all public inquiries, as happens in the UK Covid inquiry, would help speed up improvements. NHS NSS also suggest that an independent advisory body could be established to support Holyrood in deciding whether a public inquiry should be held, and the best way to go about it. Alternatives to statutory inquires should also be considered, according to NHS NSS. It points to New Zealand where a Royal Commission was established to look at the country's response to Covid. This was chaired by an epidemiologist, with a former government minister and a treasury secretary as panel members, rather than a judge. The New Zealand Covid inquiry, which has cost around £7m so far, started in 2022 and its terms of reference include a deadline of completing by February next year. The Scottish Covid Inquiry has cost £34m so far and the UK Covid Inquiry is expected to top £200m. Questions have been raised about the cost-effectiveness of the inquiries in recent years but the Scottish government, which picks up the bill for running them, said they provided important opportunities to establish facts and learn lessons. All of the current public inquires have been supported in votes at Holyrood, as well as by families and campaigners. The Eljamel Inquiry, headed by Lord Weir, launched its terms of reference last month and is expected to begin full hearings later this year. The inquiry will determine whether patients were let down by failures in clinical governance, risk management, and complaints procedures, and to what extent Eljamel's private practice, research, and workload impacted on the care received by his patients within NHS Tayside. Lord Weir said the independent inquiry would be "fair and thorough" and put patients "at the centre" of the process. Most of the inquiry's costs to date have gone on staffing (£666,949) and legal services (£316,035). Cost of public inquiries to be examined by MSPs Scotland's public inquiries have cost nearly £200m Sick Kids opening delayed by unclear NHS design - report
The Independent
24-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Scotland avoided PPE ‘VIP lane' due to devolution, UK Covid-19 Inquiry told
Former Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman has told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry she believed Scotland avoided a 'VIP lane' for procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) due to devolution. Ms Freeman was 'politically responsible for making sure the health workforce had access to PPE', the inquiry heard, during evidence around procurement of PPE. Giving evidence, Ms Freeman praised NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) and said it was 'minimising the cost of procurement because you're doing it at such scale', although she acknowledged the country 'often came close' to running out of key items. She rejected claims from former prime minister Boris Johnson that the UK 'should have one single route', the inquiry heard. Counsel for the inquiry Tom Stoate said: 'The inquiry has heard about the evidence of a high priority or VIP lane for procurement of PPE. You've talked about how NSS worked. Did that mean Scotland needed a fast-track system?' Ms Freeman said: 'Absolutely not. We had offers of help, all of which were passed to NSS. A proper triage process would apply.' She said that 'due diligence' would be applied 'to help decide whether new offers were appropriate to award new contracts'. Ms Freeman added: 'Audit Scotland said in 2021 there was no evidence of bias. We did not have a VIP lane and did not need one. 'My view is there are many questions to be asked about the VIP lane and application of due diligence and probity to any offer of supply when you are using public money, and when quality and appropriateness of PPE is critical to safety of your staff and patients they are treating.' Mr Stoate asked: 'Did Scotland run out of key items of PPE?' Ms Freeman said: 'No. We are saying we did not run out at any point; we often came close.' Asked about a statement from Mr Johnson that 'we should try to proceed as one UK' regarding procurement, Ms Freeman said: 'If what the former PM means is we should have single procurement route, I don't agree. 'I think it removes the democratic accountability of devolution of the Scottish Government, secondly the route UK Government took with the VIP lane is not one I would wish Scotland to take. 'Having a single system could lead to a system where Scottish ministers are responsible for actions in which they have no say.' Caroline Lamb, chief executive of NHS Scotland and director general of Health and Social Care, told the inquiry that around 75,000 NHS staff have now been 'fit-tested' for FFP3 masks in the wake of the pandemic, compared to around 7,000 prior to it. Giving evidence, she said that in May 2020 Scotland provided two million FFP3 masks to England and another two million to Wales. Ms Lamb said: 'May was in the period when everyone was working really hard to provide PPE needed. As soon as we had that comfort we could provide what was needed in Scotland, we were very keen to provide mutual aid to other nations. 'The relationships at an official level were never bad, but what improved was that recognition that collaboration is great but you need to be equal partners in that collaboration and accept everybody's skills and expertise.' She added: 'Scotland's share of the UK stockpile was not big enough to cope with the scale of pandemic we experienced. We have worked hard now to put in place surge capacity. 'Just in time' may work when demand is fairly predictable, but we need to have in place ability to surge up stock to meet demand.' Under cross-examination from Leslie Thomas KC, representing the Federation of Ethnic Minority Health Organisations, she said efforts had been stepped up to 'fit-test' PPE for NHS staff. Ms Lamb said: 'What became clear in pandemic is one size doesn't necessarily fit all and there was an issue for minority ethnic groups and women; there is a different range of fits available, we also worked closely with a supplier in Scotland to understand the demographics – not just understanding supply but that the people who need that supply have been fit-tested. 'The numbers have gone from 7,000 fit-tested pre-pandemic to around 75,000 in 2023. 'It's not just about having the confidence you've got supply to meet people's needs, it's that they're comfortable they can meet people's needs.'
