by Bill Heaney
Dame Jackie Baillie has asked First Minister John Swinney what action the Scottish Government is taking following reports that the Queen Elizabeth university hospital which takes patients from West Dunbartonshire and Argyll released the wrong body for cremation.
She added: “The Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act was passed in 2016, so why has the First Minister’s Government been so slow to deliver change—taking nine years to create regulations?
“Does the First Minister consider that that delay has let down people who are caught up in the funeral parlour ashes scandal [in Dumbarton where criminal proceedings are going through the courts] , which I brought to light in 2024, and that now it is letting down those who do not have their loved ones’ remains because of shocking national health service blunders?”
Mr Swinney assured the Dumbarton MSP that the implementation of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 is being taken forward, and most of the provisions are in place.
“Indeed, there is also further recruitment of individuals as part of the implementation process,” he said.
The First Minister added: “I will explore the questions about publication of the inspector’s reports in relation to this particular case. It will be good if that is possible, but I have to confirm whether there are details that would be difficult to put into the public domain.
“However, it is important to do so to address the issues of public confidence that Jackie Baillie put to me, the importance of which I recognise. I will therefore explore that and write to Jackie Baillie on it. It is important that there is public confidence about such arrangements. The principles of dignity and respect must be applied.
“I once again express my sympathy to the families that have been affected by that terrible experience.”
“The body of 56-year-old William Paterson was released to the wrong funeral director. A mum was left in a mortuary for six weeks, with staff telling the family that she had been forgotten.
“Ninety-six-year-old Agnes Lane’s remains were released to the wrong funeral firm. At a time when families should be grieving, mistakes such as those are unacceptable. They cause significant distress.
“With that catalogue of significant never events, what steps are being taken to hold senior management to account? They always seem to escape scot free.”
“We also have the inspector of burial, cremation and funeral directors, who is appointed by Scottish ministers, and along with that we have a statutory funeral director code of practice that regulates many of those issues.
“I assure Dr Gulhane that arrangements are in place to ensure that the highest standards are applied and that accuracy is implicit in all of the actions that are taken forward. I give Parliament the commitment that where we can publish information on that, we will.”
Top of page picture: The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus which takes patients from West Dunbartonshire and Argyll.
Meanwhile …
Operations halted at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital due to burst pipe
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Operating theatres were temporarily suspended following a burst pipe at the £842m Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
The leakage struck the building’s plant room, affecting its power supply today.
Newspaper reports indicate that this resulted in the temporary closure of the hospital’s main operating theatres. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) confirmed the incident took place and has since been resolved.
“Patients and hardworking staff deserve better. The SNP government and the leadership of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have huge questions to answer about the construction of this hospital.”
A spokeswoman for NHS said: “Our estates and facilities team identified a burst pipe which resulted in an electrical power outage in one of the plant rooms at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
“We wish to thank our staff who have been working to minimise any disruption and would like to express our apologies to those patients affected.”
The hospital has been plagued with problems since its opening.
Be better if Big John would spend his time looking at the excess deaths that arise due to cold weather and soaring heating bills that people struggle to afford.
As to the burst pipe in the relatively new QE hospital there have priorly been huge concerns about build quality.
But poor build quality at top dollar prices is part of our construction landscape now.
Like Grenfell, the so called self regulating construction sector is doing what it dies best. Poor quality, high prices, and folks only need look at the standards of so many of our new PFI schools to see that. QE hospital is just another example.of poor build.
But really, you have to ask if people would have it any other way. Or if they really care.
But to conclude, how many people know, or care, that in WDC, council house cladding works under the SQ15 warm housing upgrade had to be suspended for many months whilst the council sought a derogation to allow below fire standard cladding to remain rather than strip the cladding back out.
Like all of these things people dont care until tragedy happens, which it does as we know.