Guard Dogs, Watch Dogs and Scotland's Public Institutions
🔵 EXCLUSIVE: A last gasp intervention involving an SNP minister led to a delay in the publication of Covid-19 care home death figures. | @conor_matchett https://t.co/O5AIpCsVmH
— The Scotsman (@TheScotsman) July 7, 2021
Conor Matchett reports that a Scottish minister (Fiona Hyslop) intervened along with government officials to delay the answer to an FoI request about deaths in care homes.
Labour's health spokesperson, Jackie Baillie, is quoted in The Scotsman article and makes the point:
"Alongside muzzling Public Health Scotland, we have seen a deeply dysfunctional culture at the heart of this Government which appears to believe the public does not have a right to know what is done in their name."
So yet another important institution (National Registers of Scotland) seems to be dancing to the tune of SNP Ministers instead of standing up for the wider public interest.
Begging the question:
"Are 'identity politics' undermining the independence of Scotland's civil service and the integrity of our public institutions?"
Public Health Scotland - Guard Dog or Watch Dog? (June 30, 2021)
An 'independent' investigation is underway into the big spike in Scotland's Covid cases and the role played by football supporters during the Euro finals - both the travelling variety and stay-at-home kind.
Yet recent revelations about PHS 'protecting Scottish Ministers' throws the independence of this inquiry into a whole new light.
Interestingly, the two elected councillors on the PHS Board are both drawn from the SNP.
Public Health Scotland - Public Watch Dog or SNP Guard Dog? (June 28, 2021)
Has Public Health Scotland (PHS) become a guard dog under the SNP with a remit to protect Scottish Ministers - instead of doing its real job of acting as an independent watch dog which puts the public interest first?
Who Guards The Guards? (June 16, 2021)
Public Health Scotland (PHS) has been accused of acting as a 'guard dog' for SNP Ministers - rather than a watchdog for the public.
Interesting to note PHS has 2 elected councillors on its board (Cllr Julie Bell and Cllr Jacqueline Cameron) - both SNP councillors from Angus and Renfrewshire.
Independent Watchdog vs Private Guard Dog (June 15, 2021)
The revelation that Scotland's independent health watchdog (Public Health Scotland) has a remit to behave as a private 'guard dog' to prevent criticism of SNP Ministers is truly shocking.
"Public Health Scotland (PHS), which reported on the mass discharge of patients into care homes, had to score research to determine whether papers challenged or criticised Scottish government policies.
"To generate the score, the framework sets out questions which PHS should ask about material that it places in the public domain, including: “Does it challenge — or could it be interpreted as a critique of — Scottish government position or policy?”
