NHS Glasgow boss accused of trying to manipulate report into infections scandal

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The outgoing boss of Scotland’s biggest healthboard was accused of trying to manipulate an report into links between patient deaths and the building of a flagship hospital.The allegations against NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chief executive Jane Grant have prompted calls for an investigation by Scottish Labour.Child cancer expert professor Mike Stevens pointed the finger at her during a public inquiry last week for “trying to turn the screw on me” when he was investigating a spate of infections at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).He was speaking at the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry when he said the NHS boss attempted to persuade him to change the findings of his report which was looking at whether there was any link between 118 infections in patients and the hospital environment.Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said the revelations were a concern.She said: “Every new testimony about QEUH only underlines a disturbing culture of secrecy that only served to put patients at risk.“Throughout the QEUH scandal the Health Board’s leadership has attempted to frustrate the process, deny transparency and answers to families and also attempted to silence and bully NHS whistleblowers and mislead the public.“Professor Stevens was commissioned to lead a review precisely because of his independence, so any suggestion that he was pressured to change his report is deeply worrying.“The SNP government needs to investigate his allegations and hold those who have overseen this scandal responsible.”Grant is yet to appear as a witness at the public inquiry which is looking at the construction of the £842m superhospital in Glasgow and its connection to a string of rare infections in patients being treated there.Get