John Swinney has been accused of 'evasions and excuses' after blaming former NHS bosses for the water contamination scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow. The First Minister admitted there was a 'cultural problem' at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and that it 'looks like' families of those who died were lied to, but he insisted he has confidence in the current leadership and that the hospital is now safe.
Speaking for the first time since evidence to the Scottish hospitals inquiry concluded, Mr Swinney said it was 'quite clear there has been a cultural problem' and that the inquiry is 'flushing out that issue'. He refused to be drawn on whether current or former SNP ministers should face scrutiny in the criminal probe into deaths linked to infections at the hospital.
Police are investigating the deaths of six patients, including three children, who contracted infections while being treated at the QEUH. A whistleblowing doctor claimed the hospital remains unsafe with a 'broken culture' of cover-ups. The health board finally admitted last weekend that some fatal infections were probably caused by the hospital's water system.
Pressed on whether families were lied to, Mr Swinney said: 'It does look like that, but ultimately it is for Lord Brodie to come to those conclusions.' He added that the Government will take Lord Brodie's recommendations 'very seriously' and act upon them, describing what happened as 'completely unacceptable'.
Former chief executives Jane Grant and Robert Calderwood, who served during the scandal, have given evidence to the inquiry. The health board's communications director, Sandra Bustillo, told the probe there was never any 'deliberate concealment' or 'misrepresentation' of infection outbreaks.
