Freeman responds to ex-NHS Lothian chief's 'lies' claim

Jeane Freeman hit back at claims made by the former chairman of NHS Lothian

Health secretary Jeane Freeman has hit back at claims she lied over the circumstances surrounding a last-minute delay to a flagship hospital.

Former NHS Lothian chairman Brian Houston said it was not true that Ms Freeman overruled the board to prevent the hospital being opened.

But Ms Freeman said she "fundamentally disagree[s]" with his accusations.

Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Young People is now due to open in the autumn.

The issue was raised at Holyrood following an interview with Mr Houston which appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News on Monday.

In the interview, the board's former chairman - who resigned from the post at NHS Lothian in January - accused Ms Freeman of lying when she said she was overruling NHS Lothian to halt the move to the new children's hospital.

He said that "to come out and say she was overruling NHS Lothian was a lie".

'Toxic culture'

However, Mr Houston said the health board evaluated four options and presented them to the Scottish government but did not make a recommendation of which option it preferred.

But Ms Freeman claimed that the preferred option of NHS Lothian was to allow a "phased occupation" over the following weeks and months.

"Such an option would not have been feasible or safe", she added. "Patient safety, not least those of children, cannot be left to chance".

Brian Houston accused Jeane Freeman of lying over a last-minute delay to the opening of the Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children

Responding to a question asked at Holyrood, Ms Freeman reiterated that she ordered a complete halt to the transfer to the new hospital until she could be sure that safety standards had been met.

Tory MSP Miles Briggs, who raised the issue in the chamber, referenced the interview in the paper and said in the interview Mr Houston painted a "worrying picture [of a] toxic culture" in which NHS Lothian's board was treated with "utter contempt".

The health secretary reiterated that on 3 July the chief executive of NHS Lothian sent an email detailing four options, with its preference being the option to "rephase" the timing of the move into the building.

"I did not consider that the best option. I instructed a halt", Ms Freeman said.

Data protection

She added that she "refute[s]" Mr Houston's accusations "absolutely".

Mr Briggs then questioned whether it was true that the health secretary would have fired Mr Houston had he not resigned.

But Ms Freeman said Mr Houston "chose" to resign and she did not dismiss him - although she had the power to.

However, she added that Mr Houston did not accept accountability for the situation at NHS Lothian.

"This all arose... from an appraisal", she said.

"Mr Houston did not accept the conclusions of his appraisal. In that situation... It is very difficult for us to continue... in those circumstances."

Ms Freeman said she wished she could publish the appraisal that Mr Houston disputed. However, she is "prevented" from doing so by data protection laws.