News

A one-day procedural hearing of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry on Tuesday 22 February will set out the topics on which evidence will be heard during May 2022.

The hearing in May will focus on two areas; the importance of ventilation in relation to infection prevention and control; and the background to the RHCYP/DCN project.

The role of ventilation will be examined by looking at the available standards and guidance to better understand when a ventilation issue impacts patient safety. The ventilation system installed in the RHCYP/DCN will be examined at a future hearing.

The background of the project at the RHCYP/DCN will hear from those involved in the development of the business case for the project. It will seek to understand the roles of NHS Lothian, the Scottish Futures Trust, the Scottish Government and any other relevant party involved in oversight and governance structures throughout the business case process.

The Inquiry will also examine the processes followed in relation to risk allocation and the reasons and implications relating to the move away from a capital funded model to the Non-Profit Distributing (NPD) model.

Chair of the Inquiry, Lord Brodie, said, “The purpose of the hearing in May is to begin the investigation of the history of the project for the building of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and the Department for Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh.

“The Inquiry has commissioned experts in the area of ventilation in order that they might provide an understanding of its importance in contributing to patient comfort and safety and how effective systems can be designed and installed. I look forward to hearing from them in May”.

The procedural hearing will be streamed from 10:00 on Tuesday 22 February on the Inquiry’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCSZ-PcFxijaBCjvTIPZlEHQ/