Above: John Swinney says he has apologised to families who lost loved ones at the QEUH
by Bill Heaney and BBC Scotland reporters
First Minister John Swinney has said he is sorry for the suffering of people who lost loved ones to infections at Scotland’s flagship hospital, but has repeated his belief that the building is safe.
Mr Swinney held a remote meeting with families affected by the problems with the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus on Thursday.
He told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg he expressed his regret for what patients and their families had been through but added that, based on information he had received, he believed it was a safe hospital.
The first minister also said it was right he left “space” for a public inquiry to come to its conclusions about the impact of building faults on patient health.
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, which includes the Royal Hospital for Children, which takes patients from West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute, became Scotland’s largest health facility when it opened in 2015.
But within a few years it emerged that a number of cancer patients, including children, had died and many more had become unwell after contracting infections during their treatment.
Late health secretary Jeane Freeman, Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie and political commentator Laura Kuenssberg.
In 2019 the late health secretary Jeane Freeman announced a public inquiry to look at the design, construction, commissioning and maintenance of the buildings and the impact on patients.
In an interview for Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Swinney was asked what he had said to the families of those affected during last week’s meeting.
He said he expressed his “regret for the experiences of families and in some cases for the loss of children” who had been cared for at the hospital.
But Mr Swinney added: “I said to the families that fundamentally I believe the hospital is a safe hospital on the basis of all of the data that I have available to me.
“But we have a public inquiry that is looking at the original construction and development of the hospital and the issues that have emerged as a consequence.
“It’s important that I leave that inquiry, the adequate space, to come to its conclusions.”
Pressed on whether he apologised to the families, he said: “Of course I did, yes”.
Mr Swinney was asked repeatedly during the BBC interview whether the hospital had received a full set of safety validations for every ward and unit, a question that opposition parties have also been asking.
He did not appear to give a clear answer, but said: “What I’m saying to you is that essentially that work has been undertaken on an ongoing basis to make sure the hospital is safe.
“And in the course of the public inquiry there were specific examples of water analysis and ventilation system analysis that gave greater levels of confidence about the safety of the hospital.”
In its closing submission to the public inquiry in January, the local health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, for the first time admitted that problems with the water system probably caused infections of some patients being treated at the children’s hospital.
During the hearings it emerged that aspects of both the installed water and ventilation systems had not met national technical standards.
The health board says it has put mitigations, including bespoke cleaning regimes and other infection control measures, in place to reduce risks.
A spokesperson for the families who met Mr Swinney on Thursday said they were grateful for the time he had dedicated to them.
They also welcomed an offer of dedicated seats on a new Safety and Public Confidence Oversight Group which aims to restore public trust.
A spokesperson for the Scottish government said: “The first minister was grateful to meet with more families this week and is sorry for the profound pain they have suffered.
“On the call he expressed his deep sorrow for the unimaginable pain, grief and loss they have experienced.
“He welcomed the engagement and appreciated the candour and views expressed by them during the meeting.
“He made clear that the meeting was the start of a wider discussion with the government to help families get the answers they need.”
The public inquiry, led by Lord Brodie, is currently considering its findings.
Later, Dumbarton MSP and Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie commented: “Once again John Swinney refused to take responsibility for his government’s shameful record on the QEUH.
“The SNP ignored warning after warning and backed up the Health Board as they lied to families and bullied whistleblowers.
“John Swinney’s apology to the families affected by the QEUH scandal will ring hollow as long as he continues to obstruct the truth and cover up his government’s failings.
“What happened at the QEUH was the worst scandal in the history of devolution and Scotland deserves to know why the hospital was opened before it was safe and whether it is safe now.”
ENDS