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RBS drops strings on NHS scanner RBS drops strings on NHS scanner
(about 1 hour later)
The Royal Bank of Scotland is to remove conditions giving its staff special access to a £4m medical scanner the bank donated to the NHS.The Royal Bank of Scotland is to remove conditions giving its staff special access to a £4m medical scanner the bank donated to the NHS.
RBS staff were given access to the machine for 25% of its operating time.RBS staff were given access to the machine for 25% of its operating time.
NHS Lothian said it was not a problem but critics said it undermined the principle of equal access for all.NHS Lothian said it was not a problem but critics said it undermined the principle of equal access for all.
In a letter to MSP Margo MacDonald, RBS chief executive Stephen Hester said he hoped the move would help rebuild trust and respect. In a letter to Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, RBS chief executive Stephen Hester said he hoped the move would help rebuild trust and respect.
The scanner, which took 10 years and £250m to develop, is used to diagnose heart problems using CT (computerised axial tomography) scanning technology.The scanner, which took 10 years and £250m to develop, is used to diagnose heart problems using CT (computerised axial tomography) scanning technology.
It is able to provide an additional 4,000 patient scans a year to the current NHS provision. However, RBS gifted the equipment to the NHS with the condition that it would be used for its own staff 25% of the time.It is able to provide an additional 4,000 patient scans a year to the current NHS provision. However, RBS gifted the equipment to the NHS with the condition that it would be used for its own staff 25% of the time.
The scanner was being shared by NHS Lothian, Edinburgh University and the bank.
Complete handoverComplete handover
The scanner was being shared by NHS Lothian, Edinburgh University and the bank.
At the time of the announcement, Ms MacDonald called for a debate on the implications of the donation.At the time of the announcement, Ms MacDonald called for a debate on the implications of the donation.
In reply to an approach from Ms MacDonald last week, Mr Hester has now instructed the RBS community investment team to arrange for the complete handover of the scanner. I wrote to him and suggested to him that if he wanted to demonstrate, rather than say anything, that they were going to start fresh then a good starting place might be the scanner Margo MacDonaldIndependent MSP In reply to an approach from Ms MacDonald last week, Mr Hester has now instructed the RBS community investment team to arrange for the complete handover of the scanner.
In his letter to Ms MacDonald, the RBS chief executive said he hoped the move would signal "to staff, customers and the wider public that RBS know we have work to do to rebuild trust and respect and we mean to do it".In his letter to Ms MacDonald, the RBS chief executive said he hoped the move would signal "to staff, customers and the wider public that RBS know we have work to do to rebuild trust and respect and we mean to do it".
He added: "How we do business will be every bit as important as the business we do."He added: "How we do business will be every bit as important as the business we do."
Ms MacDonald said she welcomed the unconditional handing over of the scanner for use by "people who needed it, when the needed it". Ms MacDonald welcomed the unconditional handing over of the scanner for use by "people who needed it, when they needed it".
She said: "I noticed that Stephen Hester, the incoming new chief executive, appeared to understand the importance of the bank in the social fabric of the area and also obviously wanted to demonstrate that it was under new management.
"And that they would be working hard to regain the place that they had in the civic life in this part of Scotland and the importance they have to the economy and wellbeing of all Scotland.
"So I wrote to him and suggested to him that if he wanted to demonstrate, rather than say anything, that they were going to start fresh then a good starting place might be the scanner."