Anas Sarwar: Board to oversee infections at hospital has not met for nine months

The Scottish Labour leader pressed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon over problems at the flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

An oversight board set up in the wake of infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has not met for nine months, Nicola Sturgeon was told (Jane Barlow/PA)

A group set up in the wake of infections at a flagship hospital has not met for nine months, Nicola Sturgeon has been told.

The oversight board was set up in November 2019 to deal with what was described as being “critical issues” with infection prevention and control at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).

But Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who has repeatedly challenged the First Minister on infection deaths at the hospital, said it had not met since March.

That is despite him raising cases such as the death of Andrew Slorance, a senior Scottish Government official who was being treated for cancer in the QEUH when he contracted both Covid-19 and aspergillus.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar demanded to know why the First Minister still had confidence in the leadership of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. (Jane Barlow/PA)

At Holyrood last week, Mr Sarwar highlighted the case of a six-month-old baby who died after contracting an infection called Serratia.

At First Minister’s Questions, he raised the issue of the hospital again, saying: “Given all of the revelations of the past month, given everything that has happened over the past two years, given the demands of families and staff for openness and given the calls for the First Minister to get a grip of this crisis, the oversight board has not met for nine months.”

He went on to claim a review group linked to the hospital had not met for more than two months, and that bosses at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were “still not reporting deadly infections in the hospital” to ministers.

Mr Sarwar met the chairman, John Brown, and chief executive, Jane Grant, of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, on Wednesday and demanded to know: “First Minister, how can you still have confidence in them?

“Their complacent and belligerent attitude demonstrates everything that is wrong with the culture at the top of this health board.

On the case of the oversight group it is not about meetings, it is about actions

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

“Why after everything we have learned do you continue to take their word over the word of staff, families and patients who surely deserve better?”

Ms Sturgeon told him: “On the case of the oversight group it is not about meetings, it is about actions.

“And, to be precise, 88% of the oversight board’s recommendations have already been completed. The remaining actions that are outstanding don’t related directly to patient safety.”

She added that the advice assurance and review group will meet on Friday December 17 as she stressed: “It is about making sure recommendations that are made are implemented, and that is what has happened.”

The First Minister insisted her government takes seriously “any and all concerns that are raised about the Queen Elizabeth”, as she accused Mr Sarwar of trying to undermine confidence in the hospital.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted staff at the hospital were providing ‘high quality care every single day’. (Fraser Bremner/Scottish Daily Mail/PA)

Ms Sturgeon said: “Anas Sarwar wants to suggest to people that, somehow, the Queen Elizabeth is a hospital that is less safe than other hospitals, the evidence does not bear that out.”

She continued: “I am unable to comment on individual cases because of patient confidentiality but all concerns that are raised are taken extremely seriously.

“And I have made very clear any member of staff who has concerns, and who feels those concerns are not being taken seriously, or that they are somehow not being allowed to speak out, should come to me, or to the health Secretary about that.

“We will continue to make sure that all actions are taken to deliver high quality patient care in the Queen Elizabeth, which clinicians do already.

“But let us not undermine confidence in a hospital that is delivering  high quality care for patients every single day.”