‘Special measures’ for Glasgow’s health board

Scotland’s health secretary has said Glasgow’s NHS board will be subject to “special measures” following the deaths of two children.

Jeane Freeman said NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde would be escalated to stage four of the NHS Board Performance Escalation Framework.

This means an oversight board will be put in place, chaired by Prof Fiona McQueen, chief nursing officer.

It comes after calls for the government to take greater control of the board.

Three-year-old Mason Djemat was being treated for a rare genetic disease died on 9 August 2017. Milly Main, 10, died three weeks later while recovering from leukaemia treatment.

Both children were treated on a ward affected by water contamination at the Royal Hospital for Children, which is part of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus.

The health board and Ms Freeman have both apologised to their parents.

The children’s deaths emerged after Labour MSP Anas Sarwar was contacted by a whistleblower, and the health secretary said NHS employees must have the confidence to speak up when something is wrong.

At First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, Nicola Sturgeon reiterated how “remedial measures” had been put in place and a ward had been closed when it was deemed measures were not sufficiently effective.

The board has now written to parents confirming that one of the wards affected will reopen for general admissions.

It explained there was “no evidence to support the continued restriction of new admissions” in ward 6A.