SCOTLAND'S former health secretary has said there must be a “fundamental and complete change of leadership” at Scotland’s biggest health board.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) has been plagued by issues of safety at its flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus and transparency concerns in recent years following the deaths of patients – including a 10-year-old girl – linked to infections which contributed to the setting up of a public inquiry.
An adult and a child also died after they contracted cryptococcus, an infection linked to pigeon droppings.
Jeane Freeman, who set up the inquiry during her time as health secretary, told the Sunday Mail the leadership of the board believed “they can do no wrong and everyone else is wrong” and “everyone is out to get them”.
Reports released by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, which he obtained from a whistleblower, suggested the health board had been informed when the hospital opened in 2015 of infection risks.
Freeman, however, said she did not believe her predecessors were aware of the issues, telling the newspaper: “It leads me to conclude they didn’t know.
"I’m not convinced government officials knew as I was finding out about some of it thanks to the whistleblowers and investigations into what they were telling me and also Anas Sarwar.
“It was clear to me that my officials didn’t know (about the problems).
“My chief nursing officer didn’t know. I’m certain ministers didn’t know and not at all convinced government knew either.
“That’s wrong – we are accountable to people in Scotland for safe health care.”
She added: “From the outset and pre-dating the current chief executive and board, it appears to be about not telling the exact truth, either by omission or by misdirection and that’s just shocking.”
On how the issues at the board can be fixed, Freeman said: “The only thing that is going to fix this is a fundamental and complete change in leadership.
“If you have a situation where people are not trusting what is being said, you have to change who is leading.
“Sometimes that’s not fair. It’s not always those individuals’ fault but it’s the only way to move on.”
But a spokesman for the board said they “categorically refute” claims they were “anything other than transparent” on the issues with the hospital.
“Scottish Government were closely involved in the project both during the construction and in the years that followed the opening of the hospitals,” he added.
The former health secretary – who stood down from the role and Holyrood in 2021 – said she met the board’s leadership after reports about the bird-dropping infections broke.
“When this issue came to my desk, the chief executive of NHS Scotland, chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood and I went to QEUH and met (chief executive) Jane Grant,” she said.
“I was told there was nothing to see here and the issue didn’t warrant all this attention. I contradicted them and said there was. The atmosphere felt hostile.
“There was a real sense of, ‘who do you think you are, why are you asking us these questions?’
“It wasn’t just directed to me but to the chief medical officer and chief executive of the NHS.
“It was the same – ‘There’s no problem, we’ve sorted it.’ They hadn’t sorted it and the attitude has not changed.”
The spokesman added: “As a core participant in the Scottish Hospitals Public Inquiry, we have submitted more than 12,500 documents, including all the papers outlining communications between NHSGGC and ministers.
“This includes evidence that ministers were briefed on potential issues from as early as 2015.
“It is for Lord Brodie and the public inquiry to consider these matters and we will continue to participate fully to answer any questions and assist the inquiry to fulfil its remit.
“At all times in our engagement with ministers, NHSGGC senior management have been respectful and professional.”
