Question reference: S5W-34170
- Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 18 December 2020
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Independent Review, and when the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Oversight Board will be reporting.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s response to the Independent Review of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), co-chaired by Dr Andrew Fraser and Dr Brian Montgomery, has been published today (see: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800045101 ).
The Scottish Government welcomes the report and accepts its recommendations. The recommendations are wide-ranging, covering what future improvements can be made to the processes of planning and delivering new healthcare facilities. While they will require further detailed consideration by the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland before we can fully implement them, a number of policy developments and initiatives have already been taken or are underway which will assist in meeting the Review’s recommendations. The most important of these is the development of the National Centre for Reducing Risk in the Healthcare Built Environment. NHS National Services Scotland has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to support the creation of this new National Centre.
The QEUH Oversight Board (QEUH OB) is also publishing its Interim Report today (see https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800045026). The QEUH OB was set up on 22 November 2019 as a result of continuing problems arising from infection incidents on the QEUH campus and the decision to escalate NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to "Stage 4" of the NHS Scotland performance ladder. Under the leadership of the Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Fiona McQueen, the OB was set up to address the specific issues of: infection prevention and control, associated governance with respect to the QEUH, and communications and engagement with the affected patients and families.
The QEUH OB Interim Report contains findings and recommendations on the communications and engagement issues arising from the infection outbreaks, and a review of key infection prevention and control processes within the Health Board. It also provides an update on the continuing work on the other issues, which will be set out in the Final Report. The QEUH OB Final Report will also carry findings from the independent Case Note Review. The Final Report is expected to be published in early 2021.