Minutes: 25 February 2026

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

8th Meeting, 2026

Start time:09:32am

End time: 12:58pm

Location: TG.60-CR3 The Fleming Room

Published: Wednesday, 25 February 2026

Committee Members Attendees:

Minutes

1. Decision on taking business in private:

The Committee agreed to take agenda items 4, 5, 6 and 7 in private.

2. The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian:

The Committee took evidence from—

Gordon James, Interim Chief Executive, Lesley Bowie, Chair and Dr Crawford McGuffie, Executive Medical Director, NHS Ayrshire and Arran;

Laura Skaife-Knight, Chief Executive, Alison Evison, Chair and Alex Stephen, Director of Finance, NHS Grampian.

3. Scottish Government's approach to financial interventions: GFG Alliance:

The Committee took evidence from—

Jeffrey Kabel, Chief Transformation Officer, Liberty Steel Group;

Helen Lambert, Senior Legal Counsel, GFG Alliance.

4. The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran and 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard at agenda item 2 and took further evidence from—

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland;

Fiona Mitchell-Knight, Audit Director and Leigh Johnston, Senior Manager, Audit Scotland.

5. The 2024/25 audit of NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the 2024/25 audit of NHS Grampian (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard at agenda items 2 and 4 and agreed to follow up on issues raised during the meeting, with the Scottish Government at its meeting on 4 March 2026.

6. Scottish Government's approach to financial interventions: GFG Alliance (In Private):

The Committee considered the evidence heard at agenda item 3 and agreed to write to the Scottish Government on issues raised during the meeting.

7. Work programme (In Private):

The Committee considered correspondence from NHS Tayside and agreed to close its scrutiny of the 2024/25 audit of NHS Tayside.