Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie has urged SNP ministers to publish minutes of meetings involving First Minister John Swinney and two senior NHS executives as questions grow over how the government's health-board reorganisation is being developed.
The Times reported on 10 October that Swinney had for months been holding frequent discussions with Professor Jann Gardner, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Professor Caroline Hiscox, chief executive of NHS Lothian. The newspaper said Scottish Labour had requested the minutes of meetings between Swinney and the two executives, as well as records of meetings involving the health secretaries who have served since December 2024.
Baillie said: "It would be sensible to publish all the minutes now, provide more detail on the plans and ensure all Scottish regions can contribute in the debate."
The call follows the Scottish government's announcement in September that it intends to replace the current territorial health boards with two strategic boards covering the east and west of Scotland. Health Secretary Angela Constance said at the time that the change would reduce duplication and make responsibility clearer.
Gardner and Hiscox already have leadership roles in a sub-national planning and delivery group established to improve cooperation between health boards. The Times reported concern that their access to ministers could leave other regions feeling excluded while details of the new structure remain unsettled.
Matt McLaughlin, Unison Scotland's regional organiser for health, told the newspaper there must be clarity that the discussions do not give either executive an unfair advantage over future senior roles. The union said it had not yet had a proper discussion with the government about the proposed two-board model.
BMA Scotland has separately criticised the lack of consultation around the plan. Its chair, Dr Nóra Murray-Cavanagh, told The Times that the implementation remained unclear and raised questions about the effect of centralisation on locally responsive decision-making.
The report did not establish that Swinney's meetings with Gardner and Hiscox concerned appointments under the future structure, and no evidence has been presented that either executive has received preferential treatment.
Responding for the SNP government, Constance said it was normal for her and the First Minister to meet health-board chief executives regularly to discuss improvements to the NHS.
