NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: Chief Operating Officer Safety and Assurance Oversight Group Minutes: 12 February 2026

Attendees and apologies

• (Chair) - Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland
• Deputy Director, Planning & Quality
• Deputy Director Health Infrastructure and Sustainability
• Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland
• Deputy Chief Nursing Officer
• Deputy Chief Medical Officer
• Senior Division Head, Healthcare Quality & Improvement
• Deputy Director of Leadership, culture and wellbeing
• Head of HCAI and AMR Unit (Healthcare Associated Infections & Antimicrobial Resistance)
• Unit Head, Information Governance Response Unit
• Unit Head - Leadership, Talent Management and Equalities
• Public Health Professional Nurse Advisor
• Head of Health Sponsorship
• Secretariat
   

Items and actions

Welcome
The Chair welcomed members to the initial (“meeting zero”) meeting and outlined the purpose of the group: to provide coordinated senior oversight and assurance on safety related issues concerning NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC), with a particular focus on current risks at the QEUH site. Members agreed the agenda and approach.

Terms of Reference (ToR)
Members discussed the draft ToR and agreed several points of clarification:

• The purpose should explicitly reference verification rather than validation, and make clear the focus on safety issues relating to NHS GGC.
• The group’s remit is to bring together multiple assurance strands across Scottish Government and partner bodies, avoiding duplication while providing a clear line of oversight.
• The ToR should reflect readiness for, and response to, Inquiry recommendations.
• Public confidence requires clearer definition within the ToR, recognising safety as a risk based and multifactorial concept.

Action: All members to provide final comments on draft ToR to Secretariat.

Overall Glasgow Context and Inquiry Interface
Members noted the importance of maintaining appropriate separation from the Public Inquiry while maximising learning and information flow:

• The Inquiry remains live, with extended timelines and potential for emerging issues.
• This group may submit relevant evidence where appropriate.
• There is a need to be prepared for organisational criticisms and Ministerial handling at the point of final report publication.

The group agreed further policy level discussion was required to align oversight, Inquiry readiness and communications. 

Action: The Chair, Unit Head of the Information Governance Response Unit and Deputy Director of Health Infrastructure and Sustainability will meet with policy colleagues to explore Inquiry related implications; secretariat to arrange.

Safety, Assurance and Public Confidence
Discussion focused on how the group defines and evidences assurance:

• Members agreed assurance should focus on management of risk, not absolute safety.
• Success criteria and indicators need to be defined, informed by GGC’s own measures.
• Public confidence was broadly described as the ability for patients to feel safe when attending hospital services, recognising national rather than purely local impact.

The group agreed to seek clarity from parallel governance arrangements on their success criteria.

Action: Secretariat to draft questions to GGC leadership (Jann Gardner and Sir Lewis) on success criteria and public confidence, for group input.

Evidence, Narrative and Heatmap
Members emphasised the need for a clear, concise narrative to support Ministerial assurance:

• Existing evidence should be distilled into a short “story” summarising why the current position provides reassurance, while acknowledging ongoing risks.
• A consolidated heatmap of issues across GGC would support foresight, reduce surprises, and aid transparency with Ministers. 

Action: The Senior Division Head, Healthcare Quality & Improvement will develop a brief assurance narrative based on available evidence.
Action: Head of Health Sponsorship will lead development of an issues heatmap with input from relevant members.

Other Key Updates

• HIS inspections (Gartnavel and QEUH maternity) noted as contextually important.
• Ongoing Infection, Prevention and Control; and reporting issues, including cryptococcus, to remain under review.
• Members noted broader considerations around hospital infrastructure, ventilation standards and comparability across sites.

 
Action: Head of HCAI and AMR Unit to provide a short written update on HAI reporting issues, including a four week outlook.

Next Steps
The group agreed:

• Weekly meetings initially to finalise ToR and establish rhythm.
• A paper will be prepared for Health and Social Care Assurance Board.
• Future review of group scope and effectiveness once embedded.

Next Meeting
To be arranged for w/c 16 February 2026.