Scotland's Health Secretary, Neil Gray, is facing mounting pressure to address the Scottish Parliament following a significant admission by the country's largest health board regarding deadly hospital-acquired infections.
Health Board's Damning Admission
The call for an urgent Holyrood statement comes after NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) submitted its final arguments to the ongoing Scottish Hospitals Inquiry. In a pivotal shift, the board conceded that it is 'more likely than not' a material proportion of additional bloodstream infections in child cancer patients between 2016 and 2018 were linked to the hospital environment, specifically the water system.
The inquiry is examining the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the attached Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) in Glasgow. Its work was prompted by patient deaths linked to infections, including the tragic case of 10-year-old Milly Main, who died in 2017 after contracting an infection in the children's hospital's cancer ward.
Political and Public Demand for Accountability
Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary, has led demands for transparency. He branded the health board's eleventh-hour admission as 'cynical and shameful' and insisted Mr Gray must appear before MSPs to 'spell out' what government ministers knew and when.
'Grieving families deserve answers,' Dr Gulhane stated. 'The public deserve clarity and accountability on this huge and growing scandal. Full transparency from all involved is essential.'
NHSGGC noted in its submission that infection rates fell after remedial work on the water system began in 2018. However, it explicitly stated: 'NHSGGC accepts that, on the balance of probabilities, there is a causal connection between some infections suffered by patients and the hospital environment, in particular the water system.' The board confirmed this marked a departure from its earlier position, taken after hearing all expert evidence.
Scottish Government's Stance
A Scottish Government spokesperson reiterated that the statutory public inquiry was established to provide answers for families and ensure lessons are learned. They added: 'As an independent core participant of the inquiry, the Scottish Government is committed to assisting the inquiry and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.'
The final oral hearings for the inquiry are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, placing renewed focus on the long-running scandal and the quest for accountability.
