Friday, 23 March 2012 00:21

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Two staff members at NHS Lothian have been suspended while an investigation is carried out into allegations that figures for waiting times had been altered to meet targets.

NHS Lothian said the disciplinary procedure was launched as part of a “critical incident review” into the allegations, revealed by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon.   Ms Sturgeon has ordered further investigations into the management culture in the health board, saying some staff felt they were under undue pressure from management to find “tactical solutions” to waiting times rather than tackle the problem.

NHS Lothian director Alan Boyter said: “Based on its emergent themes, steps have been taken today to suspend two members of staff pending further investigation.  We are actively reviewing our management arrangements and have already reduced these by 80, streamlining our management to improve communications.

“We do not tolerate any form of bullying and harassment and this is monitored by annual surveys.”

Ms Sturgeon revealed the findings of the independent report on Wednesday and spoke of her “disappointment and considerable anger” at its findings.  She promised that she would not tolerate the manipulation of waiting times figures by health board management and staff.  

It came to light last October that some patients were being referred to Northumberland for treatment.  When they declined, they were not included on a list of patients waiting more than the target of 18 weeks for treatment.  A total of 1,234 people were referred for care in Northumberland, however the NHS said all had now received treatment.

Ms Sturgeon said the “unacceptable practices” had now ended in Lothian.

Friday, 23 March 2012 00:10

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By a Newsnet reporter

Bertie Ahern, Taoiseach of the Irish Republic between 1994 and 2008, is to be expelled by his Fianna Fáil party for “conduct unbecoming to a party member”.   The decision comes as the long running Mahon Tribunal, an inquiry into allegations of corruption amongst Irish politicians, reaches its conclusion.  

The inquiry into political and planning corruption in Dublin refused to accept the explanations offered by Mr Ahern for a quarter of a million pounds of payments made into his bank accounts in the early 1990s.

The Tribunal concluded: “Much of the explanation provided by Mr Ahern as to the source of the substantial funds identified and inquired into in the course of the Tribunal’s public hearings was deemed by the Tribunal to have been untrue.”

The chairperson of the Tribunal, Judge Alan Mahon, said that he could neither rule out nor confirm allegations that Mr Ahern had been paid off by a developer.

Speaking in response, Mr Ahern denied that he had accepted any illegal payments or bribes and said:  “I am incredulous that the tribunal has made findings rejecting the evidence of a number of individuals – including a number of friends who loaned me money – whose evidence supported mine.”

But the present Taoiseach Enda Kenny said there was no question that the office of leader of the Irish Government had been stained by Mr Ahern’s actions.

“The tribunal speaks for itself – a litany of unacceptable statements from the former taoiseach,” Mr Kenny said.

The Tribunal did find that members of Mr Ahern’s government had acted inappropriately, including former minister and European Commissioner Padraig Flynn.

Mr Flynn took IR£50,000 from a developer who claimed that he felt coerced into paying the money.  The cash was supposedly for the Fianna Fáil party but went towards buying a farm in Mayo.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin said the party’s national executive would meet on 30 March to discuss the report and decide upon “swift and decisive action”.

Mr Martin said:  “Although the central allegation against Bertie Ahern was not sustained, the evidence confirmed by the tribunal and its comments relating to him are extremely serious.

“The report records that Bertie Ahern gave a significant amount of evidence to the tribunal which, in the opinion of the tribunal, was untrue.

“It is a matter of profound personal and professional regret to see confirmed in this report the extent to which Bertie Ahern fell short of the standard of personal behaviour which is expected of the holders of high office.”

A motion to expel Mr Ahern and Mr Flynn from Fianna Fáil will be raised at the meeting.

In July 2011, the Irish Daily Mail reported that the Mahon Tribunal report was “virtually complete” with “one volume dedicated solely to Mr Ahern”.  The article further stated that the findings of the report would leave Ahern’s reputation in “tatters”.