‘Bribes rather than truth and justice’: Sarwar condemns comments in QEUH scandal

The Scottish Government should be ashamed of “bribes rather than truth and justice”, Anas Sarwar has said amid reports on comments from the chief nursing officer about families affected by the hospitals inquiry.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has examined contaminated water, inadequate ventilation and the premature opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Seven deaths are being investigated over links to the hospital environment.

At First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood on Thursday, Labour leader Mr Sarwar asked about reports that the chief nursing officer at the time of infections, Fiona McQueen, questioned why the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board had not “just offered the families 50 grand”.

Dr Christine Peters is a consultant microbiologist at QEUH and was involved in infection control when the hospital opened. She became a whistleblower who raised concerns about the hospital.

In her witness statement submitted to the inquiry, she said Ms McQueen had made the comments at a meeting in 2019 at a Scottish Government building.

Dr Peters said: “At one point she said that she couldn’t understand ‘why GGC had not just offered the families 50 grand, which is a trip to Disneyland, rather than deny that there had been harm caused’.”

Mr Sarwar told MSPs: “The Scottish Government’s instinct was to close ranks and cover up, and nowhere is this clearer than a senior official, the chief nursing officer appointed by (then health secretary) Shona Robison and the SNP, saying she could not understand why Greater Glasgow and Clyde had not just offered the families 50 grand, which is a trip to Disneyland.

“Shameful, utterly shameful, and it’s a shame (on) every member in the SNP Government and on the SNP benches, bribes rather than truth and justice.

“The pain this Government has inflicted on these families is through the roof. So enough, finally stop the denials and the cover-up. Stop the gaslighting of the families and the whistleblowers and the staff, and for once, just be honest.”

He also produced a document showing the Government was alerted to infections within the QEUH earlier than 2018.

The document shows Health Protection Scotland reported to the Government that a “higher than expected incidence of (fungal infection) Aspergillus” was found in the hospital in March 2017.

It also highlights “a small number of positive cases of Stenotrophomonas” found in July 2017, which was also reported to the Government.

The bacteria infection Stenotrophomonas was contracted by 10-year-old Milly Main before she died. She is one of the seven deaths being investigated in the inquiry.

The Scottish Government has previously said it did not know of any infections until March 2018.

Mr Sarwar said: “This was Scotland’s newest and largest hospital, and Shona Robison and the Scottish Government got 14 alerts about infections between 2015 and 2018. Warning after warning was sent to the SNP Government and met with inaction, and people died as a result.”

Mr Swinney responded that Mr Sarwar has attacked his “personal integrity”.

He said: “I am horrified by the suffering of the families that have been affected by the losses in relation to the water contamination issues at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

“That is why this Government set up a public inquiry, so that (inquiry chairman) Lord Brodie could undertake all the examination of the evidence, to look at all of the issues that are involved, and to give the truth to the families involved.

“Mr Sarwar for a week has basically attacked my personal integrity and it is unrelenting what Mr Sarwar is doing, and it is a sign of total desperation by Mr Sarwar in how he is conducting himself.

“Mr Sarwar has written a letter to Lord Brodie. I am appalled by its contents. It is direct political interference in the conduct of an independent inquiry, and Mr Sarwar should be ashamed of himself.”