Meeting of the Parliament 28 January 2026 [Draft]
I do not want to be speaking in this debate, because it has come about because of failure—a failure that has led to men, women and children dying unnecessarily in a building built and run by an organisation whose foundational purpose is to heal.
I have to say how disappointed I am to see the lack of Scottish National Party Glasgow MSPs in the chamber.
For the vast majority of patients who have visited the Queen Elizabeth university hospital, their care has been as excellent as any that the NHS is able to deliver, and the outcomes have been as good as they would be in any hospital in Scotland. The staff who work in the Queen Elizabeth campus are as diligent and professional as any in the NHS, and their hard work should not be diminished. The fact that there are broken parts does not mean that the whole is broken.
When we speak of this failure, the last thing that any of us should want is anyone to cancel an appointment or avoid seeking help because, in speaking about the issue, we have given the impression that it is too dangerous for them to go. On that point, I go back to the cabinet secretary’s response to Jackie Baillie. When she asked him a direct question—“Is the hospital now safe for patients?”—he was unable to answer it. How on earth can we expect patients to go to the hospital and feel safe?