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The truths they don't want you to read....

Friday, February 25, 2011

A single public authority for the Western Isles?

Isn't setting up a single public authority a great idea?

It was good to see that the Council have been in discussions with the College and the Health Board to work up a combined scheme to propose to Government.

Not according to Neil Galbriath, Chair of NHS Western Isles (and former Chief Executive of the Comhairle):

“NHS Western Isles is not currently developing or participating in any work associated with the assessment of the viability/benefit of a Single Public Authority or merger with any mainland Board.

“The Comhairle is free to make its comments on its perception of change and reform of public services but its view is not one that is shared by the Health Board or other public bodies in the Western Isles. Health Board staff should feel assured that no such discussions have been entered into by the Health Board.”

So is this a kite that will never fly?  It certainly feels like a 'land grab' that has gone wrong.  Badly wrong.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

It would be a good idea if it had not come from the crowd who let the War Memorial fall into disrepair, let Lews Castle become a dangerous wreck, have managed to cock-up the Town Hall, have wreaked havoc with their dodgy dealings with Iain Crichton and now Angie Soval not to mention Nicolson Accounting,who tried to infill Bayhead without consulting the three parties who actually owned it, who have built a car park for themselves in what is the biggest bog in the Island, who are hellbent on closing most of the rural schools, etc etc etc

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm sure they'll go for it once they think about the possibilities.

That would be redundancy (on most favourable terms) for one chief executive and set of senior staff - and then the remaining CEO and set of senior staff would have to be upgraded (paywise) to match their new responsibilities and at the very least exceed the 'senior' salary of the comparable post on the 'other side'.

What does the CEO of the Health Board currently earn?

(That was meant to be a joke by the way but in these islands, jokes have a horrible way of becoming reality.)

Anonymous said...

seems like a great idea then all you "do sweet F A" moaners can have a single focus for your bile.

Anonymous said...

Funny isn't it that no-one wants to play with CNES.

Hearsay said...

So whats new then? CnES and WIHB not speaking or working co-operatively through their formal structures (Community Health and Social Care Partnership, or CHaSCP). This now requires closer scrutiny. I'm saying no more!

The Labour party of course will have a lot to say about this in their Election Manifesto (Jackie Baillie). A centralised state "Health and Social Care Dept" - Health Care services, and Social Care services, one unified dept. Heads will need to roll. Cannot come soon enough.

Anonymous said...

The Health Board CEO will get more than the Chief Executive of CNES.

Anonymous said...

Bad enough if most of the fuel gold is controlled by Toad of Toad Hall, the Councillors particulalry female, business contracts et al but now the creep wants our Health too!!!!

Hearsay said...

Salaries WIHB

It was reported last week (Dec 2010) that 19 top officials in the Western Isles Health Board earned more than £100,000 per annum. One or more apparently get a salary higher than that of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The top person earns more than their counterpart in NHS Greater Glasgow. Bearing in mind the budget shortfall that NHS WI is trying to reduce, it is quite unbelievable.

Are these salaries now published and verified?

CnES are the poor relations!

Anonymous said...

Why do the council want to run everything - from the ports to the HIE now WIHB. Maybe they should concentrate on sorting their own back garden before trying to steal the money from other services & leave them in the state the council are currently in.

As for CHaSCP although a slightly seperate issue they dont even respect each other - the council memebers need to work with the others not run them over!!

Anonymous said...

.....Why do the council want to run everything - from the ports to the HIE now WIHB.....

Because they see their power base shrinking away and are desperately trying to claw something back together.