Nicola Sturgeon must give evidence to hospitals inquiry, Anas Sarwar says

Anas Sarwar has urged the hospitals inquiry to take evidence from Nicola Sturgeon and senior government ministers.

Writing to inquiry chair Lord Brodie, the Scottish Labour leader argued that the closing statement from Glasgow health board “raises further questions that require scrutiny”.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last week admitted the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) had been opened too soon.

“Pressure was applied to open the hospital on time and on budget, and it is now clear that the hospital opened too early,” the health board’s submission said.

In a statement clarifying where this pressure had come from, the health board said the comment was “made in general terms” and the pressure to open “came from within NHSGGC”.

First Minister John Swinney was last week forced to deny the Scottish Government had put any pressure on the health board to open the hospital before it was safe to do so.

But Sarwar has said the health board’s clarification still did not make clear where the pressure had come from.

He wrote: “It is still unclear who applied this internal pressure, why they did so, and if it was due to external pressure that they themselves were under.

“Any government will want to ensure that major construction projects are progressing according to budget and timelines but if this was a major factor in the decision making of the board, your inquiry must be given an opportunity to subject it to scrutiny. 

“Of crucial importance is whether the internal decision makers applying pressure, and the government ministers to which the board were accountable, had any indication that there were potential patient safety issues that needed addressed and to what extent they sought assurances on these matters prior to the hospital opening and once issues became apparent.”

The inquiry finished its oral hearings last week.

Lord Brodie will publish a report of his findings, though no date for this has been set.

Acknowledging the move to reopen oral hearings would be unusual, Sarwar argued it was vital to ensure families of those who died or became severely unwell while receiving treatment at QEUH were given answers.

He said Nicola Sturgeon, who was first minister at the time the hospital opened, Shona Robison, who was health secretary, and John Swinney, who was finance secretary, should be called to give evidence.

“To date these individuals and other ministers have avoided answering public questions on political decision making throughout this scandal on the basis of the ongoing inquiry,” Sarwar added.

The inquiry was launched in 2019 following concerns about a link between deaths, including of 10-year-old Millie Main, and infections linked to the hospital environment.

Glasgow’s health board previously denied such a link but in its closing statement last week admitted a “causal connection”.

Speaking to BBC Scotland at the weekend, Swinney said there had been a “cultural problem” within the health board, and it “does look like” families had been lied to.

He added: “What I want to say to those families today is that the government will take very, very seriously what Lord Brodie says and will act upon his recommendations – but what has clearly happened in the situation in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is completely unacceptable.”