News

May 2022 hearings to explore issues at Edinburgh hospital

Date 19th July 2021

Chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, Lord Brodie, has issued guidance setting out the focus of the Inquiry’s work in relation to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

The Inquiry will investigate the issues surrounding ventilation at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department for Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh.

The guidance, which is based on the first of the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, was issued to Core Participants.

Lord Brodie said: “The issue of ventilation at RHCYP/DCN should be interpreted broadly and will include investigation and analysis of air change rates in various locations in the hospital. Air pressure and temperature will also be examined.

“To understand how the issues emerging at the hospital in Edinburgh, the Inquiry will also examine the timeline of key stages of the project delivery, which will explore other causes to the delay.”

Although issues relating to water contamination are also covered under this Term of Reference, at this stage of the Inquiry’s investigation, it is unclear whether this is an issue which adversely impacted on patient safety and care at the RHCYP/DCN. It will be kept under review.

Read the full guidance note here.

 

Term of Reference 1

To examine the issues in relation to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters adversely impacting on patient safety and care which arose in the construction and delivery of the QEUH and RHCYP/DCN; and to identify whether and to what extent these issues were contributed to by key building systems which were defective in the sense of:

  1. Not achieving the outcomes or being capable of the function or purpose for which they were intended;
     
  2. Not conforming to relevant statutory regulation and other applicable recommendations, guidance, and good practice.

Read the full Terms of Reference here