The Scottish Conservatives are calling for a second public inquiry into scandals at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).
The party have put forward an amendment on today’s debate over the QEUH leadership calling for an inquiry into the oversight from SNP ministers and decisions they made over the handling of avoidable deaths at the QEUH.
Leading for the party in today’s Scottish Parliament debate, Douglas Ross will say that the health board have made “grave mistakes” and change in its leadership is necessary.
However, he will add, the SNP leadership must take responsibility because the failures are systemic and have been going on for years.
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “Nurses, doctors and NHS staff at the QEUH are doing phenomenal work but they’ve been let down by a lack of effective leadership from the top.
“Those in charge at the health board have made grave mistakes. They must be held accountable. Avoidable deaths cannot simply be tolerated.
“Responsibility ultimately lies with the SNP Government leadership who were supposed to be overseeing the QEUH.
“We must establish what decisions ministers have taken since they first became aware of the scandal of avoidable deaths. They have known about these dreadful mistakes for years. There is no excuse for the systemic failures going on and on the way they have.
“There is a pattern here where information has to be uncovered by the dedication and persistence of grieving families, when the government and health board should really be transparent and open when mistakes have been made.
“SNP ministers have failed to get a grip of the tragic situation at Scotland’s flagship hospital. They should be held to account just as much as the health board.”