Glasgow NHS boss not included in new expert advisory group, Yousaf confirms

The chairman of Scotland’s largest health board will not be part of a new advisory group being set up by ministers, Humza Yousaf has confirmed.

The First Minister said that John Brown, the outgoing chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, would not be part of a Governance Advisory Board being set up to support “continuous improvement” in the NHS.

Mr Brown had previously co-chaired the NHS Scotland Corporate Governance Steering Group (CGSG) until this was “stood down” by the Scottish Government in November 2022.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar,  who has repeatedly called for both the chair and chief executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to be sacked in the wake of deaths of patients such as schoolgirl Milly Main, welcomed the news.

He said it was a “gross insult to the families bereaved in the Queen Elizabeth University scandal that the health board’s chair has been advising the Scottish Government on ‘good governance’”.

The Scottish Labour leader said: “I welcome the news that this will no longer be the case.”

But he added: “Removing John Brown from his advisory role is a step in the right direction but it is not nearly enough – the board’s entire leadership needs to go.”

Criticising the Scottish Government, Mr Sarwar said: “The SNP has empowered the leadership of this scandal-hit board throughout this scandal and the subsequent cover-up and it must end.”

His comments came after Mr Yousaf confirmed in a letter to the Scottish Labour leader that Mr Brown would not be part of the new expert advisory group being established.

The First Minister told how a new Governance Advisory Board “which will guide and support the continuous improvement of governance for NHS Scotland” was being established.

Mr Yousaf said: “The board will be comprised of a small number of individuals who are considered experts in the governance field, yet independent from the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland – it will not include John Brown.”

The announcement regarding Mr Brown comes in the wake of reports that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is now being considered as a formal suspect as Police Scotland investigate the death of 10-year-old Milly and a “number” of other patients.