Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accused Humza Yousaf of “betrayal” after SNP MSPs voted down plans to give bereaved families new rights.
Sarwar hit out after proposals for ‘Milly’s Law’, named after tragic 10 year Milly Main, were rejected by the Nationalists.
Milly was in remission from leukemia at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow when she acquired an infection and died in 2017.
An independent probe eventually concluded that Milly died after “probably” catching a water-linked infection at the QUEH.
Labour’s Milly’s Law’ plan focused on amending the Government’s Patient Safety Commissioner Bill.
It would mean the Commissioner would represent those affected by a major incident in health care safety.
He would also be required to launch a probe into incidents and provide families with information.
The Commissioner would also have the power of “redress”, including compensation, while copies of reports into major incidents would also have to be provided to police and prosecutors.
SNP and Green MSPs voted against when the plan was tabled at a Holyrood committee.
Sarwar said: “Two weeks ago, Humza Yousaf stood up in FMQs and promised to engage meaningfully with us on this bill so that patients in Scotland never have to go through another scandal like that at the QEUH – but days later his party voted down Milly’s Law amendments.
“This was nothing short of a betrayal of the families failed by this scandal and others.
“Humza Yousaf and his party need to decide which side they are on.”
In a letter to Yousaf from Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie, they wrote: "We were extremely disappointed that both SNP and Green MSPs, sitting on the Health, Social care and Sport Committee, voted down Jackie’s proposed amendments.”
On June 8th, Yousaf said: “I look forward to engaging with the Scottish Labour Party in relation to our Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill.”
Milly’s mum Kimberly Darroch has also criticised the vote: “This is disappointing and I hope all MSPs will reconsider this in the final vote. Families are looking to our parliament to take the necessary steps to ensure that nobody has to go through what we went through ever again.”
Louise Slorance, who says the same hospital concealed details of her husband Andrew’s death, said at the time: “Yet again this offers further proof that Government control is prioritised over patient safety. Bereaved families should not have to fight large public organisations to seek the answers they need and deserve.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government introduced the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill to champion the value of listening to patients and to hold organisations to account for their responsibility to take patients’ concerns seriously. We are engaging with MSPs across parties as the legislation moves through parliament.
“The Minister for Public Health offered to meet Ms Baillie last week to discuss her amendments, but Ms Baillie declined. The Minister will seek to meet with Ms Baillie in August – as was requested by Ms Baillie’s office when they turned down the offer of a meeting.
“The Bill, as introduced, already allows the Commissioner complete freedom to consider or investigate any issue they believe to have a significant bearing on patient safety in health care in Scotland, and they will be able to gather information from patients and their families, as well as from healthcare providers, to inform their work.”
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