Sturgeon urged to support calls for FAI into death of Milly Main
The First Minister has said she “sympathises” with demands for a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) into the death of tenyear-old Milly Main, but said she would not interfere in a decision that should be taken by the Lord Advocate.
Nicola Sturgeon was yesterday pressed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to support the call for an FAI as he told MSPS that he would not rest until there were “answers and justice” for Milly’s family.
Milly, who was in remission from leukaemia, died in 2017 after contracting a virus while a patient in Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH). Her family was not told about the link to contaminated water problems at the hospital.
Mr Sarwar wrote last year to Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC on behalf of Milly’s family, stating that an FAI “is the very least the family deserves to hear at this difficult time”.
He said he now believed an independent case note review published this week, which concluded there were significant failings over infection prevention and control, governanceandriskmanagement at the QEUH campus, underlined the need for an FAI.
Raising the issue at the final First Minister’s Questions before the election campaign, Mr Sarwar said the review’s findings were “heartbreaking”.
He said: “It found almost 40 infections were most likely linked to the hospital environment and tragically played a part in the deaths of two children. We would never have got
to this point if it wasn’t for the bravery of NHS whistleblowers, but there are still lots of unanswered questions.
“Milly Main had leukaemia and was in recovery, but sadly caught a deadly water-borne infection and died. For years Kim [Milly’s mother] was never told the true cause of her child’s death.
“Nothing I have done in my time in this Parliament has been more important or more difficult than raising the case
of Milly Main. I promised then that I would not rest until I got answers and justice for Milly and all the families affected.
“Four years on from Milly’s death, we are finally starting to get answers, but her family have demanded a fatal accident inquiry and that is the very least they deserve.”
Mr Sarwar said Milly’s family, including her mother, Kimberly Darroch, had demanded a FAI and it was “not fair to prolong their grief ”.
“I know the First Minister cannot direct the Lord Advocate, but given the findings in this report does she agree there should be a fatal accident inquiry?” he asked.
Ms Sturgeon agreed the review had shown there were lessons to be learned by the health board on “transparency and openness”. She said the government was determined “to get the answers that are required”.
Ms Sturgeon said: “It is not a
decision for me as to whether there should be a fatal accident inquiry and I think it’s important, recognising the separation of powers.
“That said, I completely understand and completely sympathise with the view of Milly’sfamilythatthereshould be a fatal accident inquiry and I’m sure the strength of that feeling is understood by the law officers.”