The families of victims who died after contracting infections at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) are calling for full transparency from former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, urging her to “come forward and be honest” about her role in the hospital’s opening and the infections that followed. Kimberly Darroch, whose daughter Milly Main died in 2017, is at the forefront of this call, pressing for answers regarding the conditions that led to the deaths of her and others’ loved ones.
Pressure to Open Hospital Before Full Safety Checks
The hospital has come under intense scrutiny as part of the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which has revealed that the local health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), likely rushed the hospital’s opening in 2015, a decision that may have contributed to the infections. According to NHSGGC’s submission to the inquiry, “pressure” was applied to ensure the facility opened on time. This pressure is suspected to have impacted safety checks that could have identified potential risks in the hospital environment.
Kimberly Darroch has called out Sturgeon, who was Health Secretary when the hospital was commissioned and First Minister when it opened, asking her to be forthcoming about the situation. “I do believe Nicola Sturgeon knows something, my message to her is to come forward and be honest,” Darroch said during a press conference on Friday. She welcomed the recent shift in the health board’s stance, where it acknowledged that the hospital’s environment likely contributed to the infections. However, she expressed frustration, saying this acknowledgment should have come much sooner, and that the families still only know “half the story.”
Darroch also urged the health board to admit the full extent of the failures, adding, “We need to prevent this from ever happening again.”
Opposition Politicians Join Calls for Accountability
Her statement was echoed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who praised the courage of the families and whistleblowers who have come forward to expose the truth. Sarwar particularly commended three doctors—Dr Teresa Inkster, Dr Penelope Redding, and Dr Christine Peters—for their bravery in speaking out about the hospital’s failures, despite facing potential retaliation. “I think the nation owes you a huge thank-you and I hope you get the recognition and reward you deserve for the bravery you have shown,” Sarwar said.
The inquiry has also prompted further scrutiny from the opposition, with Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay questioning the Scottish Government about who applied the “pressure” to the NHS board to open the hospital. He demanded clarity, specifically asking whether it was the Scottish Government or Sturgeon herself who played a role. Findlay’s questions have gone unanswered, heightening the demand for accountability as the families and the public await full disclosure of the circumstances leading to the hospital’s opening and subsequent infections.
Both the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been approached for comment but have yet to respond.
