Probe into troubled Fife health board

HEALTH Secretary Shona Robison has ordered a probe into an NHS board rocked by misconduct allegations about its senior staff.

Earlier this month, we revealed how a string of anonymous letters with claims about board members and executives at NHS Fife had been sent to the authority’s chief executive, Paul Hawkins.

It is understood the allegations sparked a number of people to contact the Health Secretary directly with concerns over the management at what is the third largest health board in Scotland.

And now officials from NHS Scotland, which oversees all of the country’s health boards, will undertake a review to ensure the allegations are being properly investigated by NHS Fife.

The move is unusual as these issues are normally left to individual health boards’ directors to deal with.

MSP Alex Rowley said he wrote to Miss Robison asking her to investigate after being contacted by a number of staff.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We expect all NHS Scotland employees to act in line with the values and behaviours policies in place. Matters that have been raised with us will be given appropriate and due consideration.

“Decisions involving members of NHS board staff are matters for individual health boards.”