NHS Tayside strenuously rejected claims that A&E waiting time statistics at Perth Royal Infirmary have been “manipulated”.
The health body was reacting to assertions from Liz Smith, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, who had written to Health Secretary Shona Robison, to seek clarity on the issue.
Similar concerns had been aired about the situation at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital after a whistle-blower claimed surgeons are being forbidden from seeing patients before they are moved to a surgical department to keep waiting times down.
As a result, Chief Medical Officer Dr Catherine Calderwood is set to visit Ninewells Hospital on Monday to look into the matter.
A second whistle-blower said the system was putting patients at risk.
Ms Smith wants assurances on the situation at PRI.
Yesterday, Dr Andrew Reddick, NHS Tayside clinical lead for emergency medicine, refuted the claims.
He said, “Patient safety is, and always will be, our priority and waiting times targets will never impact on any part of our clinical assessment and decision making.
“The emergency department at Perth Royal Infirmary operates a safe and clinically appropriate model delivering care to all of our patients.”
Dr Alan Cook, NHS Tayside’s medical director for the operation unit, added: “There is absolutely no truth in the claim that surgical teams are prevented from assessing patients in the emergency department to have a positive effect on waiting times.”
He added: “No consultants or surgeons are banned from the emergency department.”
Staff at NHS Tayside raised the alleged manipulation of waiting time figures with the General Medical Council (GMC) last year.
Yesterday, Ms Smith said: “Like all patients across Tayside, I welcome the fact that the chief medical officer is to visit Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital on Monday to investigate the situation.”
She added: “I’ve written to Shona to ask for the investigation to be widened and assurances given that waiting time figures at PRI’s A&E have not been manipulated.”