Anas Sarwar vows to axe 'cover-up' NHS chiefs if he wins Holyrood vote
ANAS Sarwar has vowed to replace dismissive health bosses who have helped cover up scandals if he was to become first minister.
The Scottish Labour leader has been at the forefront of the campaign for justice alongside families whose loved ones have been infected or have died at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).
He said he wanted to see a change in culture and in leadership at healthboards like NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where families have said they have felt as though they have been misled about their relatives' situations.
Asked how he would change things, Sarwar said: 'Heads would have to roll.
'Systems would have to change. Leadership would have to change and the culture, ultimately, would have to change as well because right now the leadership, the establishment, the culture, the way government operates, the way the health boards operate, is completely and utterly unacceptable and is creating a system that's rigged against the patient.'
He said he would implement Milly's Law, named after Milly Main, 10, who died after contracting a rare infection at the superhospital in Glasgow, which her parents only discovered after her death.
The law would ensure there was an independent public advocate to investigate fatal incidents.
Health Secretary Neil Gray said he disagreed with Sarwar and accused him of trying to 'make political hay' with the situation.
He said: "There's an ongoing, independent inquiry – launched by Ministers - looking into the construction of the hospital.
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"There are significant challenges at the hospital, as there are across the NHS, but most people experience professional, high-quality and loving care from staff at the Queen Elizabeth."
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