(Shutterstock)
THE first diet of oral hearings in the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is to begin today (September 20).
The independent inquiry is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) in Edinburgh.
Earlier this year, Lord Brodie, chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, stated that the first priority of the Inquiry is to understand the experiences of affected patients and their families as a result of issues at both hospitals.
Lord Brodie said, “No other group has been more affected by these issues than the patients and families from whom we will be hearing in the next few weeks. Their experiences will help inform future lines of investigation as we turn our attention to subsequent phases of the inquiry. This first diet of hearings is the culmination of a year of preparation, providing us with a foundation to ensure that the inquiry is led by the evidence it uncovers during the course of its lifetime.
“Ultimately, our role is to understand what went wrong with the construction of these hospitals so lessons can be learned to prevent the recurrence of such issues in the future.”
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will determine how issues relating to adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted on patient safety and care and whether these issues could have been prevented.
It will also examine the impact of these issues on patients and their families and whether the buildings provide a suitable environment for the delivery of safe, effective care. It will make recommendations to ensure any past mistakes are not repeated in future NHS infrastructure projects.
