Questions SNP must answer on hospital scandal

IF THE SNP cannot be trusted with the safety of a hospital building, can they be trusted with the future of the NHS?

- MonicaLennon

For years, we were told the problems at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were “teething issues”.

We were told that those of us asking questions were merely “playing politics”.

But as the doors of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry finally swing open, the truth is laid bare: it wasn't just the water that was contaminated — it was the culture of leadership.

For years, families were told they were imagining things.

When they spoke of “brown water” in the taps or “filthy air” in the vents, they were met with a wall of institutional denial.

Their tragedies were dismissed as “isolated incidents”, while those within the system who tried to raise the alarm were silenced.

This week, that wall finally crumbled.

In a staggering U-turn, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde admitted what we have known in our hearts for years - there was a “causal connection” between the hospital environment and the infections that claimed lives.

Even more damningly, the inquiry heard that the hospital was opened “too early” because of “pressure” to hit dates and budgets.