Site icon THE DEMOCRAT

HOSPITAL DEATHS: Sarwar tells Holyrood that what the First Minister is saying is a blatant untruth

heaneymedia

First Minister John Swinney, Labour leader Anas Sarwar, SNP Health Secretary Shona Robison, Lord Brodie, Milly Main and Andrew Slorance and family.

by Bill Heaney

Furious exchanges between First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar over the patient deaths scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital, which took over from Yorkhill serving sick children from West Dunbartonshire, turned the Holyrood parliament chamber into “a bear pit” this afternoon.

This was a No Love Lost exchange between the two party leaders which involved finger pointing, raised voices and the unparliamentry accusation of lying.

Anas Sarwar sprung from his seat:  “John Swinney has repeatedly said in the chamber that the first time that the Scottish Government became aware of infection issues at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital was in March 2018. Does he stand by that position?”

First Minister’s reply was brief: “I do,” he said.
Anas Sarwar then rounded on him: “Just like last week, I am going to prove to the First Minister that what he is saying is a blatant untruth, because the Scottish Government document before me makes it clear that he knew before March 2018. It is here, in black and white.

“In March 2017, there was “A higher than expected incidence of Aspergillus”.

“That is what Health Protection Scotland reported to the Scottish Government. In July 2017, there were positive cases of Stenotrophomonas. That is what Health Protection Scotland reported to the Scottish Government. Evidence of serious warnings to this Government were ignored.

“Aspergillus took the life of Andrew Slorance. Stenotrophomonas took the life of Milly Main. Those deaths and many others were preventable, and we now know that the Scottish Government’s evidence to the inquiry is incomplete.

“There were, in fact, 14 alerts to the Scottish Government between 2015 and 2018. Does that not prove that John Swinney is not telling the truth about what he and the Scottish Government knew, when, and what they did about it?”

The First Minister countered: “The evidence before the inquiry clearly shows that the Scottish Government was made aware of a water contamination issue at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital only in March 2018. Incidents reported through the hospital infection incident assessment tool prior to March 2018 did not suggest that there were wider problems with the water system.
“All that evidence is already before the inquiry, and it is right that Lord Brodie be given the time and space to get to the truth for families, without political influence, interference or speculation on the outcome of his conclusions.”
Anas Sarwar told MSPs: “It is not speculation; it is Scottish Government documents that prove that what John Swinney is saying is not true.”

He added: “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 Scottish National Party Government and met with inaction, and people died as a result. Worse than that, the Scottish Government’s instinct was to close ranks and cover up.

“Nowhere is that clearer than in a senior official—the chief nursing officer—who was appointed by Shona Robison and the SNP saying that she could not understand why Greater Glasgow and Clyde had not just offered the families 50 grand, which is a trip to Disneyland.

“That is utterly shameful, and it should shame every member in the SNP Government and on the SNP benches—bribes rather than truth and justice.”

A furious Mr Sarwar added: “Enough is enough. The pain that this Government has inflicted on those families is through the roof, so it should finally stop the denials and the cover-up, stop the gaslighting of the families, the whistleblowers and the staff, and, for once, just be honest.”

The First Minister stood his ground: “I am horrified by the suffering of the families who 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 Lord Brodie could undertake an examination of the evidence, look at all the issues and give the truth to the families involved.

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

“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. I will allow.”

There was an interuption at this point and Anas Sarwar told John Swinney: “You should be ashamed—”

The First Minister was having none of it. He said: “This Government … this document … this Government has established an independent public inquiry, led by Lord Brodie.
“We will respect the law and allow Lord Brodie to undertake his inquiry, and we will distance ourselves entirely from the direct political interference that Anas Sarwar is perpetrating in his letter to Lord Brodie. The Labour Party and Anas Sarwar should be ashamed of themselves for their conduct.”
Exit mobile version