‘Political pressure’ pushed Glasgow hospital to open too early, minutes say

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde felt “political pressure” to open the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital despite concerns about patient safety, a minute of a Scottish Government meeting says.

It also says that at no point was a delay to its opening considered.

The minute was revealed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar during First Minister’s Questions, who accused the government of putting “politics before patient safety”.

First Minister John Swinney said the government was not aware of water contamination issues until 2018, three years after the hospital opened.

He went on to highlight that the counsel to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry had said there was “no evidence of external pressure” on the health board.

The inquiry, chaired by Lord Brodie, heard its final oral submissions last week.

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

It later published a clarification stating the comment was “made in general terms” and the pressure to open “came from within NHSGGC”.

But a minute of a meeting between a Scottish Government official, a health board representative, and an estate management consultant engaged by the health board, states: “Political pressure was also being felt and no consideration was given to delaying the opening of the hospital despite the issues being faced with completion and operation.”

The minute also describes a series of issues relating to the building and operation of the super hospital, including that it was “not complete at handover” and there were problems with blocked sewers, flooding, water filters and temperature regulation.

Sarwar asked Swinney “why political pressure was being applied to open a hospital that this note also makes clear wasn’t ready and led to people dying”.

He continued: “That decision to open the hospital early has resulted in a decade of lies and deceit and cover-up, bullying and gaslighting of staff, families being lied to and denied the truth, and infections that led to the death of children and possibly adults too – all because politics was put before patient safety.

“This evidence is damning; people died. So, I ask John Swinney, was it worth it?”

The hospital was opened in 2015, just before the general election, when Nicola Sturgeon was first minister, Swinney was deputy, and Shona Robison was health secretary.

Swinney last week denied any pressure was applied to open it before it was ready.

Responding to Sarwar today, he said: “The first the Scottish Government was made aware of there being water contamination issues in the hospital was in 2018.

“The Scottish Government commissioned a public inquiry under the leadership of Lord Brodie which enables these issues to be explored in full. And what that does is that enables the full consideration of all of these issues, for the evidence to be assessed and considered, and Lord Brodie to report.”

The minute revealed by Sarwar is one of the documents handed to the inquiry for consideration.

Lord Brodie will report on his findings later this year, though no date has been set.

Speaking to reporters after FMQs, Swinney reiterated the counsel to the inquiry had said there was no external pressure.

“We set up the independent inquiry with access to all of the documentation to enable it to come to a judgement. The counsel to the inquiry on Friday said there is no evidence of external pressure on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and the inquiry has that document,” he said.

Asked if he was saying the minute was wrong, he added the government was “relying on the proceedings of the independent, judge-led public inquiry, which is looking at all of these issues”.

Kimberly Darroch, mother of 10-year-old Milly Main who died after contracting an infection while receiving cancer treatment at the QEUH, said: “This confirms what we feared. We thought that political pressure was applied to open the hospital before it was ready, and now we know the truth – that’s exactly what happened.

“The denials about this in recent days have added to our pain and anguish – we were lied to, and this proves it. It’s heartbreaking that government ministers are still trying to cover their tracks rather than give us the answers we deserve.

“We are edging closer to the truth, but we still don’t have the full story. Milly would not want me to give up until the truth was uncovered and I will not.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with every family who has lost a loved one, to every patient who has suffered harm or distress connected to the issues being examined by the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. We established this inquiry so families can get answers to their questions and the truth they deserve - we are at a critical point in this process and it is absolutely crucial Lord Brodie is now given space to consider all evidence.

“The documents referenced by Mr Sarwar have already been submitted and considered as evidence to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. Based on that evidence, the counsel to the inquiry in their statement of 23 January reiterated that there is no evidence of external pressure on NHS GGC to open the hospital early, or before it was ready to be opened.”