Complaint
In a report on developments at the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry into deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow the mother of a child who had died from an infection contracted in hospital called on Nicola Sturgeon to “be honest” about what she knew regarding the safety of the hospital and whether there had been political pressure applied to open it before it was ready. A viewer complained that this implied Ms Sturgeon had been aware of infection risks before the hospital opened and had applied pressure for it to open regardless; and, while the report included Ms Sturgeon’s denial, it failed to include remarks made the same day by Counsel to the Inquiry which indicated there was no evidential basis for the implied allegation. The complainant argued that, overall, this displayed bias against the SNP government. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the BBC’s editorial standards of impartiality and accuracy.
Outcome
The ECU noted that Counsel to the Inquiry’s comments cited by the complainant formed part of his summary of evidence for the Chair, and could not be treated as if they represented the findings of the Inquiry, which had yet to report. While they might have provided useful context for viewers, in the ECU’s judgement they did not have such weight that it was a requirement of accuracy or impartiality to present them as a counterbalance to what was in any case not an inevitable inference from the mother’s words.
Not upheld
