Families say they were lied to by NHS Glasgow over Queen Elizabeth University Hospital deaths

Families affected by infection-related deaths linked to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have accused the NHS of “deceit and conniving cowardice”.

Following admissions made during the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, the families issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were “lied to, demeaned and smeared” by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

It comes after NHSGGC said in closing submissions to the inquiry that pressure was applied to open the hospital on time and on budget, and it is now clear that it opened “too early” and that it “was not ready”.

The health board also accepted there was probably a “causal connection” between infections suffered by patients and the hospital environment, in particular, the water system.

In a statement issued by Thompsons Solicitors on behalf of the families, they said: “We are the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Families.

“We have been brought together by the tragedies that have been visited upon us by the unsanitary and deadly conditions at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Major flaws in the water and ventilation system at the hospital killed and poisoned our loved ones.

“We all have our own unique experiences of what befell us at the hands of this unsafe hospital, but we are all bound together by several key facts.

“We were all lied to by NHSGGC. We were all disbelieved by NHSGGC. We were all demeaned and smeared by GGC. We have all had or families devastated and our lives traumatised by NHSGGC.”

The inquiry has been examining the design and construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children, which share the same campus.

It was launched following a series of infection-related deaths, including that of ten-year-old Milly Main, who died in 2017 while being treated for leukaemia at the Royal Hospital for Children.

Milly had been diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of five and was in remission when she picked up an infection at the QEUH.

The inquiry has been examining the design, build, and commissioning of the hospital and their impact on patient safety, hearing from 186 witnesses in the process.

Concerns over patient deaths and infections have centred on the £840m hospital’s water and ventilation systems.

While NHSGGC officials had previously denied that bacteria in the water were to blame, lawyers have confirmed the board now accepts that infections affecting some child cancer patients were probably caused by the water system.

The families said their collective action was key to the inquiry being established.

“Without our solidarity, which gave us huge strength, there would have been no public inquiry, and we would not have this opportunity to hold those responsible to account,” their statement read.

They also accused the health board of attempting to avoid responsibility throughout the process.

“We cannot overstate the level of deceit and conniving cowardice displayed by NHSGGC during the whole unfolding of this awful scandal,” the families said.

“As men, women and children fell ill and died, we were all told there is nothing to see here. We were told to keep quiet and move along. Even now, in the closing stages of the inquiry, NHSGGC still squirm as they use their legal advisors and press spin doctors to deflect and avoid responsibility.”

On Wednesday, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and his deputy Dame Jackie Baillie urged John Swinney to release all documentation relating to the Glasgow hospital.

In a letter sent to the First Minister and health secretary Neil Gray, the pair – who this week called for a criminal investigation into the situation at the hospital – said: “We maintain the belief that ministerial conduct during this process could have breached a criminal threshold and should be investigated by the proper authorities.

“You have rejected these calls. 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.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Tories have pushed for former first minister Nicola Sturgeon to make a personal statement in Holyrood on the scandal.

Sturgeon was health secretary when the hospital was commissioned and first minister when it opened.

Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane urged her to “come clean”, though there have been no direct allegations against the former first minister.

In their statement, the families said: “Those past and present who have presided over this despicable incompetence and cover-up must now be held to account.

“The leadership of NHSGGC, past and present, must now face a reckoning. Those currently in post must be dismissed immediately with no financial compensation. Those past and present must be stripped of pensions accrued during their time at NHSGGC.

“The QEUH is not a safe hospital. The current leadership of NHSGGC cannot be trusted to make it safe. The fates of our loved ones demand that the hospital be made safe. The people of Scotland demand it be made safe.”

‘We know that many brave and decent clinicians and staff tried to speak out but were silenced by NHSGGC Gestapo tactics. We thank those staff for their efforts. We will never forget that they stood with us.”

“Our political leaders must act now. We are not going away.”

Patrick McGuire, a senior partner with Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, said: “The grief and anger of my clients is heart rending and visceral. Their statement is one of anguish and loss but also one that makes clear they want justice and action.

“They demand consequences for those who are culpable. They demand our political leaders act now and make the QEUH safe.”

A spokesperson for NHSGGC said: “We offer our sincere and unreserved apology to the patients and families affected.

“We want to reassure patients and families that the QEUH and RHC are safe today. Ensuring the safe care of our patients is our key priority at all times.

“Comprehensive steps have been taken to address past physical defects in the building and a significant programme of maintenance and monitoring is in place. Our staff are committed to providing safe, high-quality care.

“It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to comment further at this time while the inquiry is ongoing.”