Meeting of the Parliament 12 March 2026 [Draft]
I had the pleasure of visiting ward staff last Wednesday and hearing directly from them about the mitigations that are being taken by clinical staff to ensure that the ward continues to be safe, because it continues to be used. There are rooms that are closed in order to manage safety, to ensure a risk-averse approach and to ensure—as Meghan Gallacher rightly says—that the risks are being managed, given that there are immunosuppressed patients, with clinically driven mitigations in place.
An oversight board that is co-chaired by Sir Lewis Ritchie is looking at the issue. The incident management team has also been set up, and it is receiving independent clinical assurance from a colleague in Newcastle. The HIIAT is in place to ensure there is on-going transparency and the action that is required. As I said in my initial answer to Meghan Gallacher, this morning, I have also impressed on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde the importance that ministers place on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde getting the issue resolved as soon as possible.