Hospital Inquiry Hears Calls for Project Manager Accountability Amid Infection Crisis
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has heard closing submissions that argue project managers responsible for a flagship hospital at the centre of infection concerns should be held accountable, while personnel working under "extreme pressure" should not face personal criticism.
Distinction Between Project Management and Operational Pressure
During the inquiry's proceedings, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) acknowledged that pressure to open the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children on time and on budget led to the facility opening "too early" and being "not ready." The health board accepted a probable "causal connection" between patient infections and the hospital environment, particularly the water system.
Peter Gray KC, representing NHSGGC, emphasised a crucial distinction between those managing the construction project and those dealing with the aftermath. He stated: "The inquiry is invited to note that this submission was made in relation to the circumstances which existed following completion of the project and the hospital having been handed over, and the extreme pressure under which all personnel were operating."
Accountability for Management Failures
Mr Gray clarified that while individuals managing the project should be held accountable for any failings, those working post-handover in unprecedented circumstances deserve different consideration. He explained: "I would suggest, my Lord, that the distinction is to be made between those who were acting under extreme pressure in an unprecedented situation following the handover of the hospital."
He added that for project management shortcomings, "individuals should be held to account where appropriate" and criticism should be made robustly. This position was discussed with inquiry chairman Lord Brodie, who questioned how to distinguish personal responsibility when evidence supports it.
Organisational Failures and Cultural Issues
The inquiry also addressed broader organisational failures. Lord Brodie noted the health board's "fairly unqualified admission of failure to listen" in whistleblowing contexts. Mr Gray attributed this to an organisational culture that did not prioritise listening to staff or encouraging concern-raising.
He stated: "It's in recognition of that failing that changes have been made across the organisation as a whole and the focus is on addressing the fundamental failings in culture, as opposed to the failings by any individual."
Ministerial Oversight and Systemic Accountability
Later submissions on behalf of Scottish Ministers, represented by Ruth Crawford KC, discussed oversight mechanisms for health boards. Ms Crawford asserted that ministers have existing powers to intervene in failing health boards, stating: "No further statutory or regulatory mechanism is required in the event of system failure."
She emphasised ministerial accountability to the Scottish public for exercising these powers and confirmed that ministers would heed any lessons from the inquiry. The inquiry, which was launched following deaths linked to infections including that of 10-year-old Milly Main in 2017, continues its proceedings in Edinburgh.
