The first round of oral hearings for the independent inquiry into the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences (RHCYP/DCN) begins today (20 September)
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will hear from patients and families affected.
The inquiry will establish the experiences of affected patients and their families as a result of issues at both hospitals.
It will determine how issues relating to the adequacy of ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted 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.
The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry will make recommendations to ensure any past mistakes are not repeated in future NHS infrastructure projects.
‘Understand what went wrong’
Lord Brodie, chair of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, 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.”
Hearings will take place at the inquiry’s office located at 20 West Register Street, Edinburgh and will run as follows:
- Monday 20 September – hearings begin with opening statements
- Hearings to run from Monday to Friday, from Monday 20 September to Friday 8 October (3 weeks)
- Break for two weeks from Monday 11 to Friday 22 October
- Hearings to run from Monday to Friday, from 25 October to Friday 5 November (2 weeks).
