Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2026 [Last updated 19:16]
I will do my best to answer those points in turn while also trying to achieve brevity.
Jackie Baillie said that Professor McCourt has her work cut out for her. I suggest that we all have our work cut out for us, because time does not stand still for any of us. Where there are issues, I hope that the chamber and Ms Baillie know that I will always be candid and direct. If I need to lift the lid on something, I will do that.
Transparency for families is absolutely crucial. I have been concerned by reports that I have read with respect to serious adverse reviews. At the very heart of those reports are issues around quality and timing. Those reports have to be done timeously, they must involve families and they must be of good quality, because they facilitate learning for the future.
On Baird and ANCHOR—Aberdeen and north centre for haematology, oncology and radiotherapy—issues, we want those services to be open as soon as possible. However, they need to be safe before they are open. I think that we have all learned those lessons.
With regard to Wishaw neonatal, if someone has a very sick baby and that wee baby is not being cared for in the hospital closest to them, I well and truly understand the tension and distress that will cause. However, I also understand what we have to do to save young lives. On the basis of clinical advice, and with the support of organisations such as Bliss, we are moving to a model that has safety at its heart. I am happy to discuss that further.
The terms of reference have still to be published. We would, of course, not publish the terms of reference before a chair was appointed, as a chair has a crucial role in drafting those, because they are, indeed, independent.