MSPs accuse NHS boss of ‘prevaricating’ on future of PFI hospitals

Senior NHS officials have been accused of “prevaricating” as they were grilled by MSPs on the future of PFI contract hospitals in the health service.

Members of Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee said they were unsatisfied with the answers provided by NHS Scotland chief executive Caroline Lamb and other officials.

A number of NHS buildings were built under private finance initiative (PFI) deals, under which companies build and maintain the facilities.

In some cases a lump sum is required at the end of the PFI contract to bring the buildings into public ownership, as is the case for University Hospital Wishaw in North Lanarkshire.

Questioned about this at the committee, Ms Lamb said the contracts are “complex” and she offered to write to the MSPs with further detail.

Conservative MSP Graham Simpson said: “I’m not very satisfied with those answers to be perfectly frank…

“I haven’t really asked you detailed questions but you’re prevaricating, you’re not answering quite a straightforward question here.”

Committee convener Richard Leonard suggested the value of Wishaw hospital could be £100 million, saying: “We would expect you to have a bit more detail to furnish us with this morning.”

Ms Lamb was at the committee discuss a recent report from Audit Scotland which said a new strategy is needed for the health and social care system.

It said “a clear vision is required to move from recovery to reform”.

The NHS Scotland chief executive said the health service is facing “very, very significant pressures” which are some of the most severe in its history.

She said: “The system faces quite considerable challenges and pressures at the moment.

“They are a result of the impact of the pandemic – Covid hasn’t gone away, we are still managing Covid.

“In common with other areas of society the health service has also been hit by inflation, by the impact of Brexit.”

Ms Lamb said she recognises the NHS has not satisfied the Auditor General’s recommendations to publish regular annual reports.

However she said the Health Secretary had recently set out a “clear vision” for the future of health and social care.

She also said NHS Scotland hopes to have a mobile app for patients similar to that used by the NHS in England.

The app allows patients to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions.