Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Jeremy Balfour says it is “deeply concerning” some hospitals in Lothian have either never been inspected or not been inspected for over five years.
Analysis from the Scottish Conservatives of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) data shows 36 hospitals across Scotland have never been inspected while a further 29 have not been inspected in the last half-decade.
That total of 65 comprises more than half of the current number of working hospitals in Scotland.
The findings show that in NHS Lothian three hospitals have never been inspected while a further two have not been inspected for five years or more.
Jeremy Balfour says that hospital inspections play a vital role in reassuring patients and staff in NHS Lothian that their hospital is as safe as it can be.
Jeremy Balfour says it is “particularly shocking” that inspections are not being carried out when NHS Lothian is under immense pressure ahead of the winter period.
Jeremy Balfour has called on SNP health secretary Michael Matheson to urgently get a grip of this situation and guarantee hospitals in NHS Lothian will be regularly inspected.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Jeremy Balfour said: “The fact that hospitals in the Lothians have either never been inspected or have not been inspected for over five years is deeply concerning.
“Inspections play a vital role in ensuring that patients and staff in NHS Lothian know that their hospital is operating as safely as possible.
“It is particularly shocking to see these figures emerge at a time when our NHS in Lothian is under immense pressure and facing the prospect of a truly terrifying winter period.
“The onus is on the SNP health secretary – who is already presiding over an A&E crisis in the Lothians – to get a grip of this situation.
“He must guarantee that hospitals in the Lothians that have never – or not recently – been inspected, will be as a matter of urgency.”
Notes:
A table is attached broken down by health board outlining when hospitals were last inspected, or never inspected.
Since Healthcare Improvement Scotland was established in 2011, 36 hospitals across Scotland have never been inspected. This includes Chalmers Hospital in Banff, Blairgowrie Community Hospital and Castle Douglas Hospital. (Health and Safety Executive, Accessed 7 September 2023, link; Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Accessed 7 September 2023, link).
A further 29 hospitals have not been inspected in the last five years. This includes Dr Gray’s in Elgin, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow. (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Accessed 7 September 2023, link).
In total, this means of the 125 hospitals in Scotland currently in use, 65 have not been inspected in the last five years, or at all. This equates to 52% of hospitals being under-inspected or uninspected. (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Accessed 7 September 2023, link).
Rural hospitals were unfairly impacted by lack of inspections. Only one hospital in NHS Highland, the Raigmore, had been inspected in the last five years, whilst 12 of the 36 hospitals that had never been inspected were in the Highland area. Similarly, 5 hospitals in the Tayside area had never been inspected. (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Accessed 7 September 2023, link).
Despite concerning findings, several hospitals have not received follow up inspections. At University Hospital Crosshouse, patients were being cared for in mixed sex bays and nonstandard clinical areas which resulted in patients’ care, dignity and respect needs not being met. Similarly, at Lightburn Hospital in Glasgow, wards were too crowded, compromising patient privacy and safety. Despite this, neither hospital has received a follow up inspection in the last year. (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Accessed 7 September 2023, link).
