Scotland’s chief medical officer has highlighted “significant progress” at Ninewells Hospital after an investigation into patient safety in accident and emergency (A&E).
Dr Catherine Calderwood visited the emergency department of the Dundee hospital last June to investigate claims made by a whistleblower.
It was alleged that surgical teams were prevented from seeing patients in order to manipulate A&E waiting time figures and that teams were being bullied and prevented from seeing potentially seriously ill patients.
She found no evidence to support the claims of waiting times manipulation but made a series of recommendations, including improving communication between emergency department staff and other speciality teams.
After a follow-up visit, Dr Calderwood said: “Having returned to review progress at Ninewells I am satisfied that significant progress has been achieved in delivering these recommendations.
“It is evident that increased communication and collaboration with speciality departments and A&E has resulted in improved inter-department relationships and improved patient-focused care.
“Good practice is also being shared via the guide for doctors interacting with emergency medicine which has been extended to provide guidance on all unscheduled care departments.
“Further improvements between emergency medicine and general surgery are still under way with the opportunity provided by the ‘Shaping Surgical Services’ review delivering increased communication and collaborative working.”