Answers needed to restore trust in NHS

THe anguish of grieving mother Kimberley Darroch is almost beyond imagination.

Her ten-year-old daughter Milly was in remission from leukaemia when she developed an infection.

Now her family fear Milly’s tragic death was related to contaminated water at the flagship Queen elizabeth University Hospital (QeUH).

Nicola Sturgeon once pledged that the Glasgow super-hospital would ‘transform healthcare for patients’.

But it will soon be the subject of a public inquiry after a series of controversies.

Milly’s family contacted Health Secretary Jeane Freeman in September, when the inquiry was announced, asking her to investigate the case.

The minister’s explanation for failing to divulge details at the time – ‘Not revealing it is not the same as not acting on it, and i acted on it’ – is deeply unconvincing.

Scottish Tory MSP Miles Briggs has called for Miss Freeman to quit over her handling of the affair, which has been characterised at every turn by official obfuscation.

Mrs Darroch wants an apology from the NHS – and urges them to ‘admit that they’ve covered it up’.

For its part, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde insists that a whistleblower’s claim that the hospital’s water supply is tainted is unsubstantiated.

But a spokesman concedes the board did not carry out tests on the water – a serious omission in light of the latest disclosures.

The board’s strategy of blaming the member of staff who spoke out for the family’s ‘significant distress’ is also a mistake – without their intervention, it is possible these serious allegations would have remained under wraps.

earlier this year, it emerged that a tenyear-old boy and a 73-year-old woman had died at the QeUH after catching an infection linked to pigeon droppings.

Back then, the health board adopted a similarly secretive approach by refusing to confirm a child had died – before being forced to reveal the truth following media scrutiny.

The drip-feed of information reinforces the impression of NHS chiefs determined to avoid reputational damage – rather than get to grips with underlying failures.

Nor does Miss Freeman’s highly evasive performance inspire confidence in the Scottish Government’s response to the latest scandal.

The inquiries that ministers have pledged are welcome and necessary, and must get to work quickly to find out what went wrong – and why patients were kept in the dark.

Urgent action is needed to find answers for the bereaved families – and to re-establish trust in our most cherished public service.