Patients harmed by 'toxic' culture at major Scots maternity unit

Minister slated over inspector's damning findings

- By Ben Borland

NEIL GRAY was told "the buck stops with him" after a damning report found that a "toxic" working culture at a major maternity unit directly harmed patients.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland's report into maternity care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was "deeply, deeply concerning", Mr Gray, below, said.

The SNP Health Secretary announced a new taskforce to look into maternity care across the country amid calls for a national investigation into avoidable deaths. But after his statement at Holyrood yesterday, he was told successive Nat ministers failed to put proper staffing plans in place.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: "I was terrified to read the findings and my thoughts are with the new mothers and families who experienced trauma firsthand.

Serious

"It raised a number of serious issues, including dangerously low staffing, a culture of fear and a refusal to learn from mistakes.