The Government  and Unite have confirmed that the final report of the Independent Review into the Gibraltar Health Authority’s Critical Care Unit has now been circulated to both parties simultaneously, as previously agreed. 

A joint statement from the Government and Unite follows below:

This important review was commissioned by the Director General of the GHA in full consultation with Unite the Union,following a period of operational and cultural challenges within theCCU. The review was undertaken on the basis of Terms of Reference that were agreed between both parties and has been carried out independently by an experienced external consultant. 

Upon receipt of the report, the Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Gemma Arias-Vasquez, invited Unite the Union to a meeting to review the findings and agree a collaborative way forward. This meeting took place last week. 

HMGoG and Unite the Union acknowledge the professionalism and rigour with which this process has been conducted and express their thanks to all those who engaged with the review, including frontline staff, management and union officials. 

Both parties fully support the recommendations outlined in the report and are committed to their implementation in full. A number of the recommendations have already begun to be addressed by the Gibraltar Health Authority. 

This joint approach will ensure that the shared objective of a safe, respectful and supportive working environment for all healthcare professionals is achieved whilst maintaining the highest standards of patient care. 

Both parties have agreed that the report will not be published in full; although sections of the report will necessarily be disclosed at appropriate points through the process, including the recommendations. This decision has been taken to protect the confidentiality of staff members who participated in the process. The report contains personal and sensitive information relating to individual members of staff, and both parties are satisfied that it would not be in the interest of those individuals or for the process of implementation of the recommendations for the full report to be made public. 

The GHA’s Director of Workforce will now oversee the implementation of all recommendations outlined in the report in conjunction and consultation with Unite the Union. 

Both HMGovernment of Gibraltar and Unite the Union remain committed to ongoing collaboration in the interests of all GHA staff and the patients they serve. The implementation of the report’s recommendations will only improve the culture, governance and leadership within the GHA and is a welcome step forward.