AFTER 10 YEARS.. THIS IS BIGGEST SCANDAL OF THE DEVOLUTION ERA

Sarwar calls for those reponsible for sagas costing £78m to be jailed

- BY HANNAH RODGER

MORE than £78million has been spent investigating and repairing a scandal-hit super-hospital since it opened a decade ago, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), which cost £842million to build, officially opened in Glasgow 10 years ago this month in a glittering ceremony attended by the late Queen.

But the celebrations quickly turned to misery for dozens of patients who began developing rare bugs while being treated at the site.

Since July 2015, the Scottish Government, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and NHS National Services Scotland have shelled out at least £78million on repairs, safety measures and a public inquiry into construction of the QEUH and adjoining Royal Hospital for Children (RHC).

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar branded the hospital saga "the single biggest scandal in the devolution era" and called for those responsible to be jailed.

The £78million includes £10million to fix ventilation in a child cancer ward, £6million for tap filters, £880,000 for water and air testing and £17million to fix an atrium, according to new data obtained by the Sunday Mail.

It cost £4million to remove Grenfell-style cladding and the ongoing public inquiry, including lawyers for the NHS and Scottish Government, has cost £32million so far.

The money does NOT include the costs of an ongoing £91million lawsuit taken by NHSGGC against hospital construction firm Brookfield Multiplex.