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Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has firmly rejected claims that the Scottish government exerted pressure to hasten the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) despite known safety issues related to its water system. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) recently acknowledged that there had been pressure to open the hospital before all safety concerns were fully addressed. The health board also confirmed that infections affecting some child cancer patients were likely linked to the hospital’s water infrastructure. However, Swinney, who was deputy first minister when the hospital opened in 2015, denied any involvement by Nicola Sturgeon’s government in pushing for an early opening.
Families of those affected by infections at QEUH have spoken out, describing themselves as having been “lied to,” “demeaned,” and “smeared” by officials. Many parents have insisted that they repeatedly warned authorities for years about the problems with the hospital’s water system. NHSGGC has issued an apology to patients and their families and has stated that the hospital is now safe. Swinney expressed confidence to Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) that the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry would reveal “the truth that is required by the families and by everybody else.” He also responded positively to calls for transparency, promising to release any pertinent documents that have not already been submitted to the inquiry.
Political leaders have responded strongly to the situation. Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, called on Swinney to dismiss any health board officials accused of “smearing” bereaved families, although Swinney made clear that operational responsibility lies with the health board itself. Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar highlighted an internal report produced before the opening of the children’s hospital on the QEUH campus. This report warned of a high infection risk, especially for immunocompromised patients, yet Sarwar pointed out that ministers did not receive notification of water contamination issues until 2018—three years after the hospital began operating. He described the situation as potentially involving “negligence or criminal incompetence” and accused officials of ignoring the warnings. Sarwar asked, “So who applied that pressure and why?” while describing a pattern of families being “lied to,” whistleblowers being “bullied, gaslit and punished,” and concerns being dismissed just as pressure was applied to open the hospital ahead of schedule.
Swinney reiterated his belief that QEUH is currently safe and expressed his confidence in the health board following the tense parliamentary session. This remains a highly emotive and sensitive matter, described by Sarwar as the largest scandal in the history of the Scottish Parliament. The opposition parties have focused intensely on the notion that political pressure might have influenced the hospital’s early opening, especially given that it coincided with a general election and the desire for ministers to claim credit for the project. Despite these suspicions, the first minister categorically denied any governmental pressure, emphasizing that no government officials had seen the internal report Sarwar referred to. Russell Findlay has called for further publication of documents to uncover any hard evidence beneath the existing circumstantial concerns
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