Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care's visit to Queen Margaret Hospital: FOI release

Information requested

I am requesting the communications relating to the meeting of 19th February 2025, that Minister Neil Gray attended at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline.

Specifically;

1. I would like to see who proposed the meeting - titles are acceptable.

2. I would like to see who proposed the meeting venue - titles are acceptable.

3. I would like to see which venues were offered as meeting locations or suggested.

4. I would like to know if the venue changed at any point.

5. I would like to know if venue at any point was considered to be Hayfield House (NHS Fife HQ) or Queen Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy.

6. I would like to see any advice regarding a change of location due to media interest.

7. I would like to see any communication in relation to handling media interest of this meeting.

8. I would like to know if Nurse Sandy Peggie or Dr Beth/Theodore Upton or an ongoing employment tribunal were part of any consideration in relation to the venue of the meeting.

9. In short, I believe the meeting was to take place in Kirkcaldy but was changed due to an ongoing employment tribunal and would like to understand the sequence of events. I don’t require names or personal details - titles or descriptions (secretary, admin staff, press officer etc are fine).

Response

I enclose a copy the information you requested, in Attachment A and B.

I have answered your questions below:

1. The meeting was proposed to the Cabinet Secretary’s assistant private secretary by British Red Cross policy officers – the initial conversation to agree a date and venue took place in October 2024.

I enclose attachment A, which includes the original invitation received by the Cabinet Secretary.

2. The offer to visit Queen Margaret Hospital was extended by British Red Cross policy and public affairs officers to the Cabinet Secretary’s private office – this proposal was made in October 2024.

I enclose attachment A, which confirms this.

3. Queen Margaret Hospital, Fife, was the only venue offered as a potential meeting location. This venue was offered as it is a key location where the British Red Cross Discharge to Assess service operates.

I enclose attachment A, which confirms this.

4. The venue did not change at any point. The only venue offered and agreed was Queen Margaret Hospital.

I enclose attachment A, which confirms this.

5. At no point were Hayfield House or Queen Victoria Hospital considered as potential venues for this visit. Queen Margaret Hospital was the only venue offered as a meeting location by British Red Cross.

I enclose attachment A, which confirms this.

6. At no point was advice given regarding a change of location due to media interest. Queen Margaret Hospital was the only location considered for the visit.

I enclose attachment A, which confirms this.

7. In response to your seventh point, I enclose attachment B which details all email exchanges relating to the handling of media interest regarding the Cabinet Secretary’s visit to Queen Margaret Hospital.

For consistency, each email chain is individually numbered. Where there are multiple chains related to the same exchange, I have included all of these for completeness.

8. While the ongoing employment tribunal involving Dr Upton and Ms. Peggie was considered as part of media handling, it was not considered in relation to the chosen venue of the visit. The purpose of Mr. Gray’s visit to Queen Margaret Hospital was to learn more about the British Red Cross Discharge to Assess service. The venue, purpose of the visit, and date of the visit, were all agreed in October 2024.

9. I can confirm that Kirkcaldy was never considered as a potential venue for this visit. Queen Margaret Hospital was always the intended venue, this was agreed in October 2024 and did not change. The ongoing employment tribunal in Fife had no impact on the selected venue.

The sequence of events that led to Queen Margaret Hospital being selected as the most appropriate venue for the visit can be found in attachment A.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section Section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption(s) applies are explained in the Annex to this letter.

Annex

An exemption applies

An exemption under section Section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to information you requested. As noted throughout the attachments, I have redacted the names and contact details of specific Scottish Government officials, as well as names, email addresses and personal phone numbers for British Red Cross representatives, NHS representatives, NHS service users, and external media members which are not publicly available.

This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI 202500454109 - Information released - Attachments

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