A document that formed the basis of a secretly shelved Ninewells Hospital inspection report has been published by a Dundee MSP.
Labour’s Jenny Marra criticised the decision by Healthcare Improvement Scotland not to publish the original investigation, which took place in September last year.
However, HIS and the Scottish Government branded her release “misleading”.
The Courier last month revealed the report had been dropped by HIS after NHS Tayside contested a number of points on a factual basis. An amalgamated version, including results from an unannounced visit four months later, was published in January.
Ms Marra said: “I’ve taken this step reluctantly after both Alex Salmond and the Cabinet Secretary for Health have refused to use their powers to publish the report.
“The inspectorate published the NHS Tayside’s official response to the original report and a letter making corrections to the report. But the report wasn’t published.
“Such is the public interest that it only makes sense that all the documents are available together for the public to make up their own minds.”
She added: “It is in the interest of patients and NHS staff that inspections are published on time and under due process. This did not happen for Ninewells. A cover-up should not be allowed to happen again.”
Dr Denise Coia, chairman of HIS said: “Our first priority is patients and the public. The document published on the Jenny Marra MSP website is misleading for all.
“This was a very early working document being used by the inspection team prior to a draft report being sent to NHS Tayside for factual accuracy checking. The document contains inaccuracies which are misleading for patients and the public.
“The public should be assured that the final report we have published on our website is accurate, fair and based upon clear evidence.”
Health Secretary Alex Neil said: “I am disappointed that a leaked draft of a report from a Scottish scrutiny organisation has been published.
“I understand this is not the iteration of the report sent to NHS Tayside for accuracy checking but is an early version of the report, which was only circulated within Healthcare Improvement Scotland, and was one of many versions worked on.
“The exchanges published yesterday by Healthcare Improvement Scotland clearly explained the errors which were in the draft report and show why it was necessary for Healthcare Improvement Scotland to conduct another inspection.”
Two responses to the draft report from NHS Tayside were published by HIS after pressure from health secretary Alex Neil. However, the original document was neither asked for nor produced.
Ms Marra said that in the interests of patients, staff and the public the inspectorate and the SNP should have published the original report in the first place and have not explained why they did not.