Chamber and committees

No meetings have taken place between the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and Chairs or the Chief Executives of NHS boards, for the specific purpose of discussing the impact of the proposed welfare reforms.

Directors of Public Health from Scottish Health boards have identified that reform of the welfare benefits system may have an effect on health outcomes and they have commissioned the Scottish Public Health Network (ScotPHN) to review the evidence of impact on health and identify mitigating actions. ScotPHN has published interim guidance which can be accessed through their website (www.scotphn.net).

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Some references were made at the NHS Ayrshire and Arran Annual Review on 17 December 2012. Whilst it was clearly not appropriate for particular incidents/individual cases to be discussed in a public forum, I was assured that NHS Ayrshire and Arran take such allegations extremely seriously and are actively investigating. As in any such case, should the board’s review identify any necessary actions, I would expect these to be implemented as a matter of priority.

NHS Health Scotland invited a stakeholder panel who picked up (from the annual report) on the work Health Scotland were doing in this area and the panel was very supportive of the approach being adopted.

No other incidents of bullying and harassment were raised at any of the recent annual review meetings.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I wrote to NHSScotland Chairs and Chief Executives on 22 February 2013, reminding them that boards should frequently review their behaviours and practices to ensure they have a culture which actively encourages and supports members of staff to raise concerns. The culture should also ensure that staff are not penalised or persecuted in any way for raising concerns in good faith.

The Partnership Information Network (PIN) Policy, Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment in NHSScotland, provides guidance to NHS Boards on the development of a clearly defined policy and procedure for dealing with bullying and harassment complaints. The PIN Policy also highlights the importance of promoting the policy to staff, training for managers and of senior managers monitoring the application of the policy.

The Dignity at Work toolkit, Give Respect Get Respect, provides guidance to NHS Boards on promoting Dignity in the Workplace. The toolkit includes a description of bullying and its effect.

Culture, values and behaviours will be a fundamental cornerstone of the 2020 Workforce Vision which we aim to launch at the NHS event in June 2013. This will present a further opportunity to restate our commitment to providing a working environment in the NHS in Scotland which is free from bullying and harassment.

The use of confidentiality clauses in compromise agreements is entirely an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees. Certain conditions have to be met in order for a compromise agreement to be legally binding, including a requirement for the employee to have received advice from a relevant independent adviser as to the terms and effect of the agreement. Any clause which sought to prevent an individual from raising a protected whistleblowing disclosure would be illegal under the Employment Rights Act and would therefore be unenforceable.

I wrote to NHSScotland chairs and chief executives on 22 February 2013, reminding them that boards should frequently review their behaviours and practices to ensure they have a culture which actively encourages and supports members of staff to raise concerns. I also told them that I expect Boards to ensure that confidentiality clauses and non-derogatory statement clauses are not being used to suppress the reporting of concerns about practice in NHSScotland, and to ensure that these clauses are used appropriately.