Hansard

Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney and Shona Robison have not given testimony at the inquiry and have not been cross-examined. Without that, we will never have the full picture of what happened.

There is a further risk. If political decision making is not examined, ministers will attempt to use the final report of the inquiry as proof that the problems were contained entirely within the health board and could not have been prevented by Government intervention. That claim cannot be allowed to stand without proper scrutiny. Jeane Freeman has given evidence, and that is welcome, but she was appointed health secretary in 2019. We need those who were in office in 2015 to answer questions, too.

I will speak directly about the families, who are among the most remarkable people that I have ever met. I have the privilege of calling Kimberly Darroch a friend. Although the whistleblowers helped us to get to this point, we would not be where we are without the courage of the families who refused to stay silent. Kimberly has fought not because it will bring back her amazing daughter, Milly Main, but because she is determined that no other family should endure what she has endured. That takes unimaginable strength and courage. To Kimberly and to all the families: thank you. The dignity that you have shown has been extraordinary. You have fought for years to protect others, and you are the very best of Scotland.

I will turn to a couple of other issues. Although, understandably, much of the attention has been on the children, infections in adults have not been given the level of scrutiny that they deserve. Those families still do not have answers; there has been no independent oversight of their concerns; and they are being asked to trust the same system that has failed other families. If they believe that there is a link between infection and the loss of their loved ones, they deserve the truth and answers, just like any other family.

Finally, although attention has been focused on the water supply, there must also be full scrutiny of the ventilation system and its potential link to infection and risk to life.

When I say that this is the biggest scandal in the history of the Parliament, let me be clear about what has happened. Parents who should have been focused solely on supporting their child through cancer treatment were instead met with denial, delay and institutional self-protection. Whistleblowers were ignored, gaslit, lied to and punished for speaking out. Families were dismissed, patronised and made to feel as though they were making a fuss, when they just wanted answers about their children. Clinicians and staff who raised concerns were bullied and victimised by NHS managers, who are paid for by the public purse. Powerful institutions chose their reputations over their responsibility to patients.

The health board and SNP ministers denied, downplayed and delayed. They did not put patient safety first. They did not put families first. They closed ranks. This is not about the NHS front-line staff—nurses, doctors, cleaners and porters—who care with compassion and professionalism under immense pressure every day. They are not to blame. The failure lies with senior leadership and a culture of secrecy and poor governance, enabled by incompetent ministers who repeatedly denied the scale of the problem and dismissed legitimate concerns. The public inquiry is vital and must run its course, but it cannot be used as a shield for secrecy or inaction on the issues that confront patients today.

That is why I am asking for the Parliament to vote for two things: first, the release of all ministerial and officials’ communication and discussions relating to the Queen Elizabeth scandal, and the taking of steps to ensure that none of the vital files—be they WhatsApp messages or messages on personal servers—are systematically deleted, as we know the Government likes to do; secondly, a real investigation into political decision making, because people deserve to know what happened and ministers should be held to account.

Families deserve answers, accountability and justice. The direct questions that I posed to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care must be answered during the debate if the Government is to have a shred of credibility with the public.

I urge MSPs to put aside their political affiliation and do what is right by patients and families by voting for the motion.

I move,

That the Parliament condemns the culture of secrecy and cover-up that has hidden the truth from patients, families and campaigners and denied them justice in many NHS scandals in Scotland in recent years; recognises that, as the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry draws to a close, many serious questions remain regarding the decision-making process and the role of the Scottish Government; considers that political decision making should be considered by the inquiry, and calls for the Scottish Ministers to authorise the immediate full disclosure and preservation of all communications connected to the contaminated water and inadequate ventilation system and the premature opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, as well as any subsequent communications relating to the handling of the infection and its cover-up.