MSPs have been told there is no evidence to support claims that waiting lists were manipulated or staff intimidated into putting patients on hidden lists to meet Scottish Government targets.

The Scottish Parliament Public Audit Committee heard from health board bosses, including Robert Calderwood, chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde, on waiting lists and patients who were listed as "socially unavailable".

Health bosses were called to the committee following an Audit Scotland report into practices in the NHS after NHS Lothian was found manipulating the lists by placing people as "socially unavailable", to meet the 12-week waiting time target.

The report said the IT system at NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde was not sufficient to allow them access to records to determine if there was manipulation.

It said across the NHS there was bullying and staff were pressurised to manage lists to keep the number slow. However, no individual health board was named.

In response to a question from Conservative MSP Mary Scanlon, Mr Calderwood stated there was nothing in Glasgow to suggest there was bullying, .

James Dornan, Cathcart SNP MSP, asked a similar question and Mr Calderwood repeated his belief, adding: "It has not been my experience consultants can be bullied into the management of their waiting lists.

"I don't recognise that issue of bullying and fear of reporting an inability to deliver a target.

"I don't recognise where the Auditor General detected that in NHS Greater Glasgow And Clyde. There is no mention of it in the report."

Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie, Labour's health spokeswoman, said: "I am surprised at how emphatic the chief executives are in denying bullying.

"Are we seriously saying, and I am asking Robert Calderwood, there is no bullying in Greater Glasgow And Clyde NHS in relation to waiting times and social unavailability?"

Mr Calderwood said: "We need to be clear what we mean by bullying: Do people feel more pressure compared to 10 years a go? Yes, they do but that is not bullying and harassment."

Mr Calderwood said the reduction in the number of people waiting for treatment listed as "socially unavailable" was down to an increase in resources from the Scottish Government and the health board.

He said there was an increase in 2008/09, which coincided with a bad winter and a number of operations were cancelled and theatres out of action.

He added that the increase was also down to patients seeking treatment for a particular consultant or hospital.

stewart.paterson@ eveningtimes.co.uk