Nicola Sturgeon will face fresh calls on Wednesday for senior management of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board to be sacked as a result of the infection scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar last week demanded that First Minister bring the hospital under direct ministerial control and sack senior management amid concern about waterborne infections.
At First Minister’s Questions, Sarwar revealed that a further two deaths at the hospital may have been linked to the infected water supply.
Sturgeon argued that “sacking a health board does not change overnight the practice in a hospital”.
But Sarwar has now called on the First Minister to “decide if she is on the side of bereaved families and bullied clinicians, or out-of-touch managers” when the Labour motion is debated in Holyrood on Wednesday.
He said: “The ongoing scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is the greatest of the devolution era, but the SNP government has failed to act."
“Lives have been lost, families have been shattered and whistle-blowers have been put under incredible strain.
“In any other country, there would be resignations and sackings. But under this SNP government, it has been nothing but denial and cover-up.
“This must be a line in the sand, Nicola Sturgeon must decide if she is on the side of bereaved families and bullied clinicians, or out-of-touch managers."
Sarwar added: "She has a straight choice on the leadership of the health board – back them or sack them.
“That’s why this week in Parliament, Scottish Labour will give all parties the chance to do right by the families affected and vote to send a message to this Government that words are not enough.”
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