Question reference: S5W-27130
- Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 23 January 2020
-
Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 January 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the performance of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer
In November 2019 we moved NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to stage 4 of the NHS Board Performance Framework specifically for on-going issues related to infection prevention, management and control at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC), and the associated communication and public engagement issues. This decision put support arrangements in place, and had the requirement for a transformation plan to correct these issues – all of which is being overseen by a Performance Oversight Board established under the Chair of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). In addition, I asked Professor Marion Bain, the former medical director of NHS National Services Scotland, to take over responsibility for infection prevention and control within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to begin to restore public confidence in the service.
On-going monitoring of performance in the Board since November has highlighted further issues with the Board’s performance across a number of key areas, including their performance on scheduled and unscheduled care, primary care out of hours, and the need to strengthen management capability and capacity.
I have decided that urgent action is required to address these issues while protecting the on-going work overseen by the CNO. Today I have asked DG Health and Social Care to write to the Chief Executive to inform her of my decision to move the whole of NHS GG&C to Stage 4 on the Escalation Framework, with immediate effect.
This will involve both an increased level of support but also scrutiny and intervention, primarily through the introduction of Calum Campbell, Chief Executive of NHS Lanarkshire, in the role of Turnaround Director placed in NHS GG&C to directly manage operational delivery. I will also establish a Performance Oversight Group chaired by NHS Scotland’s Chief Performance Officer, with a focus on recovery planning. The aim of this intervention is to move the board to an improved position on performance and other issues as quickly as is practicable.