News

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry held a procedural hearing on 11 March 2025 to address matters arising from the hearing of evidence in relation to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children which commenced on 19 August 2024 and concluded on 13 November 2024 (Glasgow III) and identifying how best to conduct what are intended to be the final hearings in the course of the Inquiry, which are currently scheduled for later in 2025 (Glasgow IV).

The hearing was addressed by Counsel to the Inquiry and legal representatives of NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, the Scottish Government, Drs Inkster, Peters and Redding, the Cuddihy and Mackay families, NHS NSS and the Patients and Families group.

A recording of the hearing is available via the Inquiry YouTube channel, and a transcript will be added to the website in due course.

Following the hearing, the Chair, Lord Brodie, has published a note of his reasons for publishing the closing statements of Counsel to the Inquiry and from Core Participants in relation to the Glasgow III hearing. These include the following important statement:

"I must very strongly emphasise that nothing in the closing statements including the closing statement submitted by Counsel to the Inquiry represents my view on the matters discussed. The closing statements are simply submissions as to what I should make of the evidence heard at Glasgow III, taken together with previously heard evidence. Different views are expressed both on the effect of the evidence and the way in which relevant questions in relation to that evidence have to be addressed. I have yet to come to a conclusion on these points and in doing so I will have to take into account the other evidence I have heard and have yet to hear, as well as all of what all the core participants have to say about matters.

When the reader is considering what is said in the closing statements about the water and ventilation systems in particular parts of the hospitals being or not being in an unsafe condition at various points in time, regard must be had to the context in which Counsel to the Inquiry had invited witnesses to approach the concept of “unsafe condition”, by reference to whether particular features of the systems, taken in isolation, presented an additional risk of avoidable infection to patients, whereas the legal representative for GGC submitted that there were severe shortcomings in that approach and that Counsel to the Inquiry’s submissions were made on insufficient and sometimes plainly flawed evidence. It is the GGC position that infection management and control is multifactorial. Accordingly, regard must be had to the steps taken to mitigate specific risks. The conclusion that GGC consider that the Inquiry should reach is
that the hospital is safe and that there is no need for public concern as to
any risk posed by the hospital."

A copy of the Note of Decision is available here.

A copy of Counsel to the Inquiry’s closing statement is available here.

A bundle of closing statements from Core Participants is available here.

The Glasgow IV, Part 1 hearing will open on 13 May 2025 for three weeks, and subject to the finalisation of the witness programme will hear from witnesses representing NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Multiplex, IBI, Currie and Brown, Capita and Wallace Whittle.

A full list of topics will be published on the website in due course.