NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde: Chief Operating Officer Safety and Assurance Oversight Group Minutes: 6 March 2026

Attendees and apologies

• Chair - Chief Operating Officer, NHS Scotland
• Deputy Director Health Infrastructure and Sustainability
• Deputy Director, Planning & Quality
• Deputy Director Chief Nursing Officer
• Head of Health Sponsorship
• Director of HSC Performance and Delivery
• Deputy Director, Information Scrutiny & Governance
• Deputy Director, Chief Nursing Officer Directorate
• Unit Head - Leadership, Talent Management and Equalities
• Chief Nursing Officer
• Public Health Professional Nurse Advisor
• Deputy Chief Nursing Officer
• Secretariat

Items and actions

Welcome
The Chair shared a thank you for the significant work delivered under challenging circumstances. The Director of HSC Performance and Delivery has also offered his support to this work/group, particularly around strengthening processes and systems.

Recap
The Head of Health Sponsorship thanked colleagues for contributions during an intense week, highlighting the importance of establishing a single point of contact, as agreed with the Cabinet Secretary.

Reflections on the Cabinet Secretary’s QEUH visit noted clear design related issues impacting the site, but also reassurance from staff that patients feel safe.
Emphasis was placed on anticipating HIIAT status changes by ensuring clarity of process and proactive briefings.

Process, Governance & Coordination
The Chair reiterated the need for a consistent, known process for escalations (e.g. Amber → Red HIIAT changes) to ensure all SG briefings remain accurate and aligned. A single route for ministerial briefings was strongly supported.

The Director of HSC Performance and Delivery highlighted the unsustainability of the current reactive approach and offered to support development of improved systems, including replicating effective tools from past experience.

Members agreed that a Core Brief consolidating all key messages would be valuable.

The Chief Nursing Officer emphasised the need to bring all workstreams into this group for better clarity, governance and forward planning. Cultural and historic issues within GGC remain challenging, and clinical workload pressures continue to reveal retrospective issues (e.g. room closures).

The Science and Engineering, Public Health Professional Nurse Advisor raised concerns on notification processes, citing delayed SG awareness of issues such as Water Ingress and challenges where manuals are not followed at Board level. Re-establishing a Sit Rep process was welcomed.

Action: The Director of HSC Performance and Delivery to set up a call with members to discuss process moving forward.
Action: Core Brief to be created to support alignment in key messages.
Action: Sit Rep to be established.

Clinical Perspective
There is a need to strengthen visibility of the Science and Engineering, Public Health Professional Nurse Advisor’s clinical concerns to ensure these are captured fully for ministerial advice and that GGC are providing appropriate clinical information. HIIAT decisions depend heavily on the accuracy and timeliness of information provided.
Ministerial Engagement & Communications

The Chair briefed the group on recent and upcoming engagements involving FM, Cabinet Secretary, families and MSPs.

Emphasis was placed on ensuring consistent messaging given high media and political interest.

FOI pressure remains high, with multiple live requests about correspondence, political influence and QEUH related matters.

Lessons Learned
The Deputy Director of Information Scrutiny & Governance noted that the Director of Health Workforce is keen to initiate a lessons learned process in relation to the Inquiry’s work; however, given ongoing reactivity, timing may not yet be appropriate. The group agreed this work is essential but better delivered once operational pressure reduces.

Action: The Deputy Director of Information Scrutiny & Governance to confirm with the Director of Health Workforce that a lessons learned process is not appropriate at this specific time.

AOB
The group agreed on the need to distinguish work of this Group from any future daily operational rhythm once the GGC Safety and Public Confidence Oversight Group is established.

The Chair is awaiting clarity on clinical advice responsibilities following correspondence between senior clinical leads.