THE Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear from patients and families as the first session of oral evidence gets underway today.
Former health secretary Jeane Freeman announced the probe in June last year with a remit set out to examine the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus (QEUH), Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN), Edinburgh.
The inquiry will seek to determine how issues relating to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters adversely impacting on patient safety and care occurred, if these issues could have been prevented, the impacts of these issues on patients and their families and whether the buildings provide a suitable environment for the delivery of safe, effective care.
The QUEH, run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, was hit by patient safety problems after opening in 2015.
A Scottish Government-commissioned probe found that the deaths of two children at the hospital were “at least in part” the result of an infection.
One of the children was Milly Main, who died at the hospital after contracting a water-linked infection. The mother of the 10-year-old previously said she was “100%” certain contaminated water caused her daughter’s fatal infection after treatment for leukaemia in August 2017.
The report also revealed a second case where a child’s death was “probably linked” to the hospital environment.
The hospitals’ inquiry is chaired by the Right Honourable Lord Brodie QC. He is supported by counsel to the inquiry and a team who are providing secretariat and legal support to the inquiry.
Commenting ahead of the evidence sessions, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar MSP said: “At the heart of this tragedy are patients and families who have been affected by catastrophic failings. In some cases, they have lost loved ones.
“Their evidence is crucial to this inquiry, but I know it will be incredibly difficult for people to relive their experiences this week – and my thoughts are with all those who will find the next few weeks deeply upsetting.
“Incredibly, nobody has still been held to account for the failings at the QEUH, and patients, families and the public remain in the dark about how this scandal happened.
“If it wasn’t for the bravery of NHS whistleblowers, we would be even further from the truth.
“Families deserve answers, and this inquiry must get to the bottom of what went so tragically wrong.”
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