Background

On 17 September 2019 the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport announced that a public inquiry would be held to examine issues at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) and Department of Clinical Neurosciences sites following recent concerns about patient safety and wellbeing. The inquiry was to determine how vital issues relating to ventilation and other key building systems gave rise to those concerns, how they occurred, and what steps can be taken to prevent this being repeated in future projects. Lord Brodie was appointed as chair of the Inquiry with effect from 28 November 2019. Following on wide consultation, the Inquiry’s Remit and Terms of Reference were published on 15 June 2020.

The Inquiry was launched on 3 August 2020.

The Inquiry is a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 (the “Act”). The Inquiry is independent and shall discharge its functions in an impartial way. Although, it is funded by the Scottish Government, it is entirely independent of the government. It is the chair who is responsible for the conduct of the Inquiry and for the terms of its report. He has the powers set out in the Act and the Inquiries Rules (Scotland) 2007. These include the power to require the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath at a public hearing.

The purpose of the Inquiry is to investigate the issues set out in the Remit and Terms of Reference. The Inquiry has no power to determine issues of civil or criminal liability.

An Inquiry Team has been set up to gather evidence in the form of statements and documents, consider that evidence and to prepare for hearings at which the evidence will be tested.

Find out more about the Inquiry Team here.

To find out about the Inquiry’s approach to addressing its Remit and Terms of Reference here.