By Democrat reporter
The local health board’s chief spin doctor was asked about the NHS body conducting “social listening” of certain individuals, including Louise Slorance, the widow of a senior government official who died from Covid in the hospital.
Director of Communications Sandra Bustillo said that she had consulted with other health boards on the use of social listening technology.
Bustillo admitted that while three other boards had the technology, none had used it.
She told the inquiry no individuals are being followed anymore.
The inquiry, presided over by Lord Brodie, is being held in Edinburgh.
Bustillo, pictured right, Director of Communications at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, also told the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry there was never any “deliberate concealment” or “misrepresentation” of infection outbreaks.
Sandra Bustillo denied that her team of press officers was involved in any instances of “concealment or misrepresentation” over the deaths of patients, but admitted frequent leaks to the media had “eroded trust”.
The inquiry was set up after a number of patient deaths, including that of 10-year-old cancer patient Milly Main, pictured above with her mother, Kimberley.
Child cancer wards were closed in 2018 following a number of infection outbreaks, with patients moved to the adult hospital so the water and ventilation system could be upgraded.
Families have been critical of the health board for what they say has been a lack of transparency and honesty about the seriousness of problems at the hospital, which opened in 2015.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) spent £8.9m on ventilation system improvements at the £840m hospital following Ms Main’s death.
Communications director Bustillo said staff had been “open and transparent” in how they communicated with families and the media when dealing with a series infection incidents recorded at the hospital.
She told the inquiry the process of agreeing statements could be a lengthy one involving clinicians, senior staff and often the Scottish Government.
In written evidence she said sometimes delays in the release of information “resulted in unwarranted criticisms of a lack of openness and transparency.”
She said: “At no time were I or my team involved, or aware of, any deliberate concealment or misrepresentation of information on the part of NHSGGC in our public communications.”
Bustillo also said the leaking of internal documents to journalists and politicians “eroded” trust and “unjustly” resulted in accusations of a cover up.
She told the inquiry it ultimately contributed to the health board being put in special measures.
NHSGGC was escalated to stage four of the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework by the Scottish Government in 2019 and 2020 over issues with communication and infection prevention and control.
The Scottish government said further action was necessary at that point to help “increase public confidence”.