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The Independent
13-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Inquiry findings show we were right to delay opening of hospital, says Gray
The findings of an inquiry show it was the right decision not to open an Edinburgh children's hospital, Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray has said. The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry released its interim findings earlier this month, with chairman Lord Brodie saying NHS Lothian was not clear enough on the design of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in the capital. The opening of the facility was halted just hours before it was due to begin receiving patients at the behest of then health secretary Jeane Freeman due to concerns about the ventilation system in the paediatric critical care department. Ms Freeman later launched the inquiry, which has also looked at issues with the building of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow after a number of deaths of patients linked to infections. Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday, Mr Gray said Lord Brodie's report showed Ms Freeman made the right decision. 'The interim report confirms that the decision taken by the then cabinet secretary to postpone the opening of the hospital was the right decision,' he said. 'This decision understood the risks associated with the introduction of patients into a facility that had not met the required safety standards. 'Only through this direct intervention by the then cabinet secretary were we able to act and deliver the necessary changes to the built environment.' The opening of the hospital was delayed by almost two years until March 2021, at a reported cost of almost £17 million. The hospital, Mr Gray said, is now providing 'safe, effective, person-centred care, and has been since the facilities opened in March 2021'. But Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie – who is also her party's health spokeswoman – questioned why a similar delay did not take place at the Glasgow hospital. 'In the case of the Edinburgh Sick Kids, unfortunate though the delay was and the uncertainty for families, thankfully, no child lost their life,' she said. 'I believe Jeane Freeman was right to put patient safety first. 'In contrast, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Nicola Sturgeon's flagship, was rushed through when it clearly was not safe and children died as a consequence.' Dame Jackie asked the Health Secretary what lessons had been learned as a result of the issues encountered at the facilities. 'I would caution Jackie Baillie around arriving at conclusions around the Glasgow side of the inquiry – the inquiry is still ongoing,' the Health Secretary said. 'There is much evidence still to be led in that inquiry and I would not, I certainly cannot, prejudge or seem to cut across in any way, the work of a public inquiry.' On lessons that have been learned, the Health Secretary pointed to NHS Assure, an agency set up to assess risk in the NHS estate, which he said was 'about making sure that every single stage of the commissioning of a health infrastructure programme that we have assurance as to the safety and to the practicality of a health project'. He added: 'I believe that is giving us much greater assurance as to the safety that Jackie Baillie is looking for.'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Inquiry findings show we were right to delay opening of hospital, says Gray
The findings of an inquiry show it was the right decision not to open an Edinburgh children's hospital, Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray has said. The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry released its interim findings earlier this month, with chairman Lord Brodie saying NHS Lothian was not clear enough on the design of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in the capital. The opening of the facility was halted just hours before it was due to begin receiving patients at the behest of then health secretary Jeane Freeman due to concerns about the ventilation system in the paediatric critical care department. Ms Freeman later launched the inquiry, which has also looked at issues with the building of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow after a number of deaths of patients linked to infections. Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday, Mr Gray said Lord Brodie's report showed Ms Freeman made the right decision. 'The interim report confirms that the decision taken by the then cabinet secretary to postpone the opening of the hospital was the right decision,' he said. 'This decision understood the risks associated with the introduction of patients into a facility that had not met the required safety standards. 'Only through this direct intervention by the then cabinet secretary were we able to act and deliver the necessary changes to the built environment.' The opening of the hospital was delayed by almost two years until March 2021, at a reported cost of almost £17 million. The hospital, Mr Gray said, is now providing 'safe, effective, person-centred care, and has been since the facilities opened in March 2021'. But Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie – who is also her party's health spokeswoman – questioned why a similar delay did not take place at the Glasgow hospital. 'In the case of the Edinburgh Sick Kids, unfortunate though the delay was and the uncertainty for families, thankfully, no child lost their life,' she said. 'I believe Jeane Freeman was right to put patient safety first. 'In contrast, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Nicola Sturgeon's flagship, was rushed through when it clearly was not safe and children died as a consequence.' Dame Jackie asked the Health Secretary what lessons had been learned as a result of the issues encountered at the facilities. 'I would caution Jackie Baillie around arriving at conclusions around the Glasgow side of the inquiry – the inquiry is still ongoing,' the Health Secretary said. 'There is much evidence still to be led in that inquiry and I would not, I certainly cannot, prejudge or seem to cut across in any way, the work of a public inquiry.' On lessons that have been learned, the Health Secretary pointed to NHS Assure, an agency set up to assess risk in the NHS estate, which he said was 'about making sure that every single stage of the commissioning of a health infrastructure programme that we have assurance as to the safety and to the practicality of a health project'. He added: 'I believe that is giving us much greater assurance as to the safety that Jackie Baillie is looking for.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health board not clear on design for hospital ventilation system, inquiry finds
One of Scotland's biggest health boards was not clear enough on the design of the ventilation system which delayed the opening of a children's hospital, an inquiry has found. The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh were due to open in July 2019 but a delay was announced just hours before. Eventually opening in March 2021 with the delay believed to have cost almost £17 million, the hospital became a subject of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry – alongside parts of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow. Lord Brodie, chairman of the inquiry, published 11 recommendations on Monday as part of his interim report, where he criticised NHS Lothian's handling of the design of the RHCYP and accused it of leaving patients and families 'in the dark' on the delay. Ahead of the opening of the site, issues with the pressure differentials and air change rates – which can help to protect from airborne diseases – in the ventilation of the paediatric critical care department were found, the inquiry reported. Lord Brodie said: 'On the basis of the evidence that I have heard, I have concluded that in a project for the construction or refurbishment of a healthcare facility, it is the health board, as the prospective provider of that healthcare, in consultation with relevant stakeholders and clinical and technical advisers, that is best-placed to identify what it requires from the ventilation system. 'This includes the precise output parameters that the ventilation system must meet. 'Accordingly, determining the output parameters of a ventilation system should not be left to the judgment of the project company and its subcontractors during the design phase. 'The design should address how previously determined parameters are to be achieved, not what should be achieved. 'In relation to this project, it is my conclusion that NHS Lothian did not present its requirements for the output specifications of the ventilation system with sufficient clarity and precision.' Instead, the board relied on the contractor's interpretation of NHS guidance for ventilation systems, the inquiry found, and provided a document described as an 'environmental matrix' which set specifications for the ventilation system. The matrix contained an 'undetected error' in relation to critical care rooms, the inquiry said. As well as the design of the buildings, the inquiry also criticised NHS Lothian's handling of communications with patients and their families around the delay. 'The decision not to open the hospital as planned had a significant impact on patients and their families, who were shocked, scared and deeply disappointed that long-promised new facilities were not to be available for the treatment, in some cases, of children suffering from very serious conditions,' Lord Brodie said. 'Patients and their families were left in the dark as to the reasons why the hospital did not open as planned. 'Communication with patients and families was unsatisfactory in this regard. I have seen this to have been important. 'There is a group of young patients who are very seriously ill and spend a significant portion of their time, sometimes much of their lives, in hospital. 'They are supported by family members or guardians. The hospital becomes, for them, their second home. 'The impact of unclear or poor communication on the wellbeing of patients and their families during what may already be a very difficult, emotional and uncertain period in their lives is significant.' The final report of the inquiry is expected next year. NHS Lothian has been contacted for comment.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Final hospitals inquiry report and recommendations expected at end of 2026
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry's final report is expected to be issued at the end of next year after calls for further evidence. The inquiry has been examining the design and construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children, which are on the same campus. It was launched in the wake of deaths linked to infections, including that of 10-year-old Milly Main. The inquiry is also examining the design and construction of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh. The four-part hearings on the Glasgow hospitals began in 2021 in front of chairman Lord Brodie, and are expected to finish in January 2026. The last evidential hearings are expected in three parts – between May and October 2025 – with a final oral closing hearing in January. They will hear more expert evidence relating to the cause of infections at the Glasgow hospitals at the request of some core participants. The first hearings in 2021 heard evidence about the physical, emotional, and other impacts on patients and families connected with the hospitals. Hearings in 2023 heard from clinicians and those directly involved with patients. In November 2024, the third sessions concluded, having heard evidence examining the extent that non-compliance with relevant regulations and guidance led to ventilation and water contamination issues. It also explored the actions taken to resolve these issues after the handover in 2015 and the extent of their effectiveness. Glasgow IV will be the final session of oral hearings, with a revised schedule issued while evidence is analysed. A spokesperson for the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry said: 'In recent weeks a number of core participants have requested the inquiry consider more expert evidence relating to the cause of infections at the Glasgow hospitals. 'This, and Lady Wise's decision relating NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's additional expert report, has resulted in a revised inquiry schedule. 'The inquiry team is gathering the additional evidence requested, carrying out analysis and considering its evidential value. 'Glasgow IV hearings will now be split into three parts between May and October this year. A final oral closing hearing will take place in January 2026. 'As a result of accommodating the requests from core participants, and integrating the evidence into the investigative process, Lord Brodie's final report and recommendations are expected to be published at the end of 2026.'
