For now it is the north east of Scotland in the spotlight, but these are themes that will resonate with NHS staff right across the country.
In July, emergency medicine consultants in Glasgow wrote to Health Improvement Scotland warning of a risk of “whole-system failure” and ongoing risks to patient safety.
The doctors said the situation in the emergency department at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital had deteriorated since an inspection in 2024.
They, too, held health board executives responsible, noting staff had scored their confidence in leadership at 32/100 in a recent survey.
They questioned the transparency of their chief executive, Prof Jann Gardner, claiming she encouraged them to engage with a 2025 independent review of culture and relationships, the results of which have never been published.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it continued to address the issues raised and that a programme of improvement work was ongoing.
Elsewhere, the chief executive of NHS Ayrshire and Arran also stepped down this year, after it suffered financial near-collapse
No-one can doubt NHS bosses have a tough job but they are all paid generous six-figure salaries.
