DAVID ROSS and HELEN PUTTICK

Scotland's three island health boards are to be twinned with mainland authorities at senior management level in a controversial move seen as "the thin end of the wedge" for island independence.

Ministers insist the partnerships are designed to provide stronger control following serious failures exposed in the running of NHS Western Isles. It will be "partnered" with Highland, while Shetland and Orkney are to link with Grampian.

Senior health department officials in Edinburgh have already met the chairmen and chief executives of the three island authorities.

Partnership arrangements will be officially announced shortly, but The Herald understands they will focus on key areas such as finance, human resources and planning.

Ministers, who have been joining in this week's 60th anniversary of the founding of the NHS, said last night that there was no threat to their independence, and no comparison with the break-up of NHS Argyll and Clyde in 2006 amid a funding crisis. However, in the Western Isles, where the board has had five chief executives in the last five years, suspicions have been raised that the move is designed to forestall further investigation.

There is also expected to be anger in Shetland and Orkney, where no management shortcomings have been publicly identified.

A Western Isles health service insider said: "This twinning is the thin edge of the wedge which will ultimately see the migration of good-quality jobs from the islands to Inverness.

"It will commence with partnering and then move to efficiency arrangements which will lead to the senior partner directing where posts will be located and it is inevitable that these senior posts will remain in Inverness.

"Historically, even in local government terms, the islands have not been well served when real decision-making is located in Inverness.

"This has always led to a loss of island focus."

The source added: "If this new idea has originated with civil servants, then the motives for such a proposal must be questioned.

"It smacks of an attempt to divert the minister from seeking an independent review into the failings of the Western Isles board and the senior civil servants' role in that mismanagement.

"It is now more incumbent upon local MSP Alasdair Allan to ensure that his party colleague Nicola Sturgeon delivers on his pre-election promise to his constituents and the NHS unions and staff that there would be an inquiry under an SNP administration."

However, a Scottish Government source said: "The proposed partnership arrangements have been warmly welcomed by all those involved. They will help strengthen the island boards' management and governance regimes and will enhance their independent status.

"One of the things we want to stress throughout is this should not be construed as any undermining of the independence of the island boards. They will remain independent entities. This is designed to strengthen their independence."

Island boards will receive extra funding, which could be used to second mainland employees to fill vacancies, given the islands' traditional problem in recruiting staff.

Networking arrangements with mainland boards already exist to ensure standards of clinical care in island hospitals. The management partnering scheme is seen by ministers as complimentary and part of their drive to ensure that island communities can enjoy as good a health service provision as counterparts on the mainland.