Senior health bosses have accused the families of dead and sick children of using suspicion and internet research to unfairly criticise them.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said parents weren’t qualified to give an opinion to the inquiry into the deadly infections scandal at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
In a newly published submission to the hearing, the health board:
●Dismissed evidence from the families, describing it as “unchallenged and untested”.
●Said the inquiry hadn’t heard from “witnesses appropriately qualified to express an opinion”.
●Called claims that an infection in the water was making children sick “no more than” a perception.
●Said criticism of management and senior clinicians had “no basis in fact”.
Last night representatives of families condemned comments from the NHS board, which has faced calls for senior managers to quit over the scandal at the £842million hospital.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, whose party called on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to axe the board, said: “The scandal at the QEUH is the greatest scandal of the devolution era.
“Lives have been lost, staff bullied and families kept in the dark. For the health board to lash out at those affected in this manner is unacceptable and speaks volumes about how they have conducted themselves throughout.
“These families deserve much better than they have got from the arrogant and incompetent leadership of the health board.”
Stephanie Spencer, of Thompsons Solicitors, for several families, said: “Any attempt to dismiss the evidence provided demonstrates why the inquiry is needed.”
The inquiry heard evidence and submissions from 44 witnesses including families of young patients at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at the QEUH.
Some believe their children – most of whom were cancer patients – contracted fungal infections from an issue with the water supply.
Multiple child deaths and serious infections have been linked to the hospital.
Families told the inquiry they first heard about the closures of ward 2A and 2B through texts, social media and the Press.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Brodie and ordered by the Scottish Government, began in 2020.
It also looked at issues with the building of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s comments are contained in an eight-page closing statement written by Peter Gray QC on behalf of the health board.
Pointing out the structure of the inquiry only let witnesses speak, he said: “The inquiry has heard unchallenged and untested evidence from a number of witnesses regarding issues, many of which on any view are of a highly technical and complex nature, which they perceive may have adversely impacted on patient safety and care, and their perceptions of how those issues were managed in various respects.
“They are, however, no more than that, unchallenged perceptions, often based on ‘suspicion’, ‘assumption’, ‘rumours’, ‘speculation’, ‘media’, ‘research on the internet’ and interpretation of documents not produced in evidence.”
The health board’s submission, published on Tuesday, goes on to state their unhappiness at criticism of NHS staff.
Asked about the concerns raised on the language in their submission, a spokesman for the health board said: “We fully acknowledge that the issues being examined, which go back over a number of years, have been incredibly difficult for our patients, their families and our staff, and we remain fully committed to supporting them and working with the public inquiry.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We are committed as a core participant to assisting the Scottish Hospital Inquiry’s proceedings.”
Bereaved mum tells inquiry her daughter was murdered
A key submission to the inquiry was from Kimberly Darroch, who’s daughter Milly Main was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2012 and had treatment at the hospital.
She died in 2017, aged 10, from stenotrophomonas – an infection found in water.
Kimberly believes her death was caused by the water issue and told the inquiry she had been “murdered”.
A report this year from an independent expert panel set up by the Scottish Government concluded her infection “was probably related to the hospital environment”.
Milly’s death and those of two other children and a 73-year-old woman at the hospital are being probed.
The inquiry heard that concerns were first raised about the water supply in April 2015 with infections identified the following year before restrictions were placed on drinking water in one of the wards and filters put on taps.
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