A report into healthcare in Bermuda is potentially so embarrassing for Government it must be rewritten for the public, according to secret notes from a meeting between Premier Ewart Brown, Health Minister Michael Scott and health chiefs.

Mr. Scott's note on the review, thought to be by Johns Hopkins Medicine International earlier this year, states: "Hopkins Report must be managed, it must be written so that it suits the Government and does not become a document that embarrasses GOB."

Another report is being carried out by management consultants Kurron Shares, based on its review and tour of the hospital, according to Mr. Scott's minutes.

"The reports out of KEMH will be devastating. Notes (Kurron) Chairman (Corbett) Price," his notes state.

It was one of a string of issues highlighted in Mr. Scott's minutes on a get-together including himself, the Premier, Permanent Secretary of Health Warren Jones, Bermuda Hospitals Board CEO David Hill, chairman Herman Tucker, deputy chairman Wendell Hollis, management consultants Kurron Shares' boss Corbett Price and Bank of Bermuda CEO and Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust chairman Philip Butterfield — apparently dubbing themselves 'The Saturday Group'.

The 15-page document — labelled 'Highly Confidential and Secret' but leaked to The Royal Gazette — has been severely criticised by BHB, which dismisses the minutes as grossly inaccurate, in some places wholly untrue, and a reflection of Mr. Scott's private notes and personal thoughts.

Mr. Scott describes the document as his personal notes rather than an official record of the meeting.

In his notes, Mr. Scott says Mr. Hill gave a snapshot of the hospital and pointed to poor clinical safety, worsening finances, lack of managerial process and accountability and people being employed in the wrong places.

Mr. Scott makes references to "too long in the tooth" doctors, "dead wood" staff, and "wars" in one department, while his notes suggest calls were made for at least two figures at the hospital to be removed from their positions.

The release of the minutes, from a meeting on August 18, came days after Mr. Hill denied claims the hospital was readily overruled by Government.

When asked about Ombudsman Arlene Brock's comments that BHB members had expressed concern about current levels of political interference, Mr. Hill told this newspaper: "My view is there's no political interference."

However, Mr. Scott's minutes include references to Mr. Hill being urged to remove one nurse in charge, and the Premier asking the CEO to find nine Bermudians to put directly under a particular department head.

Mr. Scott refers to talk of abandoning the Bermuda Health Council, a watchdog set up last year, while Mr. Butterfield is quoted as suggesting the appointment of a health czar.

On ward care at the hospital, Mr. Scott's minutes state: "Some Doctors are too long in the tooth in the Job and have a sense they are entitled to do as they please.

"Premier asked the CEO if this has also been his experience.

"CEO said of this assessment that it is kind, based on his experience.

"CEO notes that on confronting some medical staff to carry out directives his response has been 'I'll leave some dead and wounded behind me if you tell me to do thus and so'"

The minutes also state: "Snap Shot of Organisation by CEO Hill

"FINANCES Shaky getting worse

"CLINICAL unsafe

"MANAGERIAL No Process in place.

"STAFF wrong people in wrong places

"ACCOUNTABILITY none

"NOW getting FIRE POWER in PLACE."

On one department, the minutes state: "Question: Are wars still going on in (name of department withheld)?

"YES

"The quicker we replace (name withheld at request of Hsopitals Board) the better."

On other departments, the minutes state: "In Information Technology Department HR half are incompetent NB Minister.

"HR years of dead wood reside in the department.

"We need experienced people in Finance Department and in IT Department.

"Premier ask Question of CEO Hill what will You Do

"Reply

"Look at the size of that JOB.

"Premier suggest getting the WORD out to competent Bermudians in the Global community.

"Part of search has to be part of this

"Bermudians doing a GOOD JOB

"Deputy Chairman Hollis Advanced in our steps in improving things at the hospital

"Role now is to identify Bermudians to run the Hospital."

The minutes suggest the topic of medical tourism was raised at the meeting, with the Premier — who is part of a partnership to set up an adult stem cell centre in Smith's, designed to treat one or two "no option" patients a week — said to be "wholly alive to medical tourism".

No suggestion is made about how often the Saturday Group meets, but at one stage the minutes state Mr. Hill is to report back in 30 days. A suggestion is also made to meet with other key decision-makers such as the Minister of Immigration and Labour and insurers.

Responding, a BHB statement said: "The Minister's notes concerned are grossly inaccurate and in some places wholly untrue. They reflect the private notes and personal thoughts of the Minister. They were shared after the meeting with the BHB chairman and CEO, who immediately and separately went on record to state to the Ministry that they were inaccurate.

"The board chair, deputy chair and CEO who attended the meeting do not recognise them in any way as an official record of the meeting and are disappointed that they have been publicly shared.

"While we do not wish to engage in detail with these inaccurate notes, we do feel a duty to be clear about issues relating to our staff. We continue to support and develop all our staff to ensure they meet the requirements of the organisation."

Mr. Scott said: "In its opening reference the note you refer to specifies that the wide objective of the meeting was to address the subject of healthcare as one of Bermuda's highest priorities, and the achieving of excellent standards of healthcare services in Bermuda as a linked objective.

"The specific meeting to which you refer was a high-level meeting of healthcare stakeholders. It was highly confidential and therefore it is most inappropriate for me to comment on the discussion that took place."

Mr. Scott declined to comment on BHB's remarks about his notes. Government released a statement on Friday evening, stating: "The Minister of Health, the Hon. Michael J. Scott reported today that based on information he received this morning, confidential documents may have been stolen from his office.

"The Minister noted that he was 'extremely disturbed that someone may have gained access to a personal note I made of a confidential meeting'.

"The Minister stated that he has contacted the Police to report the matter."

Asked for a comment from Dr. Brown, the Premier's Press Secretary Glenn Jones said Mr. Scott was handling public comment. Mr. Butterfield declined to comment, while Kurron did not respond to a request for a comment from Mr. Price.

Following a request from BHB, The Royal Gazette agreed not to name individual employees mentioned in the minutes.