Pressure to Open Glasgow Hospital Revealed as Labour Demands Transparency
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney is facing mounting pressure to release all documentation concerning the controversial opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. This demand follows explosive revelations from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which this week told the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry that "pressure was applied to open the hospital on time and on budget."
Labour's Call for Criminal Investigation and Full Disclosure
In a significant escalation, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie have formally written to First Minister Swinney and Health Secretary Neil Gray, urging immediate publication of all related communications. The Labour politicians, who earlier this week called for a criminal investigation into the hospital's management, stated in their letter: "We maintain the belief that ministerial conduct during this process could have breached a criminal threshold and should be investigated by the proper authorities."
The letter continues with a direct challenge: "This is a simple invitation to prove that is not the case by sharing vital evidence publicly. The public has a right to know what ministers knew, when they knew it, and what actions were taken." Labour framed the issue as systemic, arguing it reflects "a culture in public bodies that too often protects the institution rather than the people it exists to serve."
Emphasising the human cost, the opposition leaders concluded: "Families deserve answers. They deserve accountability. And they deserve justice. The question is simple: will you finally do the right thing, and release the communications Scotland has waited too long to see?"
Board Admits Link Between Environment and Fatal Infections
The Labour intervention comes after a devastating admission from the health board last week. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde accepted there may have been a "causal connection" between the hospital environment and infections that were tragically linked to patient deaths. This acknowledgment adds grave weight to concerns that the facility was opened prematurely under external pressure.
Scottish Tories Target Former First Minister Sturgeon
Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives have intensified the political focus by calling for former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make a personal statement to the Holyrood parliament regarding the scandal. Ms Sturgeon served as Health Secretary when the hospital was commissioned and was First Minister when it opened in 2015, just weeks before a general election.
Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane urged her to "come clean," though no direct allegations have been made against her. He highlighted the case of 10-year-old Milly Main and others who lost their lives, stating: "If Nicola Sturgeon leaned on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde bosses to push this hospital over the line for political gain, that would be utterly unforgivable. The health board claim that pressure was applied and the hospital opened too soon. This had very grave consequences."
Dr Gulhane criticised a perceived pattern, adding: "Nicola Sturgeon has a duty to explain her role in this to bereaved families, rather than display the trademark secrecy and cover-up that we saw from her during the ferries scandal and the Covid inquiry."
Government Defends Inquiry Process and Withholds Comment
In response, Health Secretary Neil Gray defended the government's approach, pointing to the established public inquiry as the proper vehicle for truth. He stated: "On the question of transparency, I note that the Government brought forward the public inquiry so that families – some of whom I have met, and to whom I pay tribute for their work and their diligence following the trauma that they have undoubtedly experienced – can get answers to the questions that they are posing."
Mr Gray emphasised that the government has provided all relevant evidence to the inquiry and argued it is "because we have instigated a public inquiry that, I believe, we are getting to the truth." He concluded by asserting the need for the inquiry to conclude its work unimpeded: "It is important that we allow the public inquiry the space to consider its final conclusions, so that the final report can be considered before we determine any final considerations."
The standoff sets the stage for a continued political battle over transparency, accountability, and the legacy of Scotland's flagship hospital, with bereaved families awaiting definitive answers from the ongoing official investigation.
