First Minister Humza Yousaf has said he was “disturbed” by reports of a hospital board spying on bereaved families.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) last week admitted paying a private company to monitor the online presence of some individuals.
One of those named on the list, was widow Louise Slorance, whose husband died in an NHSGGC hospital.
The health board said it had apologised and had now “ceased” online monitoring.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called on the first minister to take action.
Speaking after First Minister’s Question’s (FMQs), Mr Sarwar said: “This is just the latest in a litany of shameful incidents that has seen the leadership of this health board intimidate whistle-blowers, engage in a cover-up and frustrate the efforts of grieving families who are looking for justice.
“The first minister shouldn’t have to wait for an inquiry to know that spying on the families of dead patients is wrong – he just needs to look at his conscience.”
He added that families who had spoken out against the health board had been treated with “contempt” and called on Mr Yousaf to “sack the rotten leadership of this failing health board”.
Louise Slorance has been demanding answers from the health board following her husband’s death in 2020.
Mr Slorance, a Scottish government official, was in the hospital receiving treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) when he contracted Covid, despite being in an isolated room. He died nearly six weeks into his stay at the hospital.
Following his death, his widow has spoken out about questions she has surrounding the details of his death.
It was during this quest for answers, she became aware the hospital board had placed her on a “social listening” list, monitoring her personal social media accounts as well as any mentions of her husband’s name.
She told the Sunday Mail: “Knowing the health board hold a social listening list is sickening. Not only does it feel like an intrusion, its presence highlights the toxic culture at NHSGGC in leadership behaviours, lack of compassion and accountability, and the bullying of anyone who raises concerns. NHSGGC senior management are not fit for the position.”
Ms Slorance was in Holyrood’s public gallery on Thursday as the issue was raised in the chamber.
During FMQ’s, Mr Yousaf said: “I was also disturbed by the reports in the newspapers.
“My understanding is, as you would expect, there is a level of media monitoring that does take place by a board, particularly one the size of Greater Glasgow and Clyde.”
The first minister added that any media monitoring polices should have patients at the heart.
A spokesperson for NHSGGC told BBC Scotland that by monitoring public conversations about the organisations, it “erroneously” reviewed posts shared by the “relative of a patient”.
“We want to make absolutely clear that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has never used private investigators to spy on patients and their families,” the spokesperson said.
“This was an isolated case for which we have since apologised to the individual and we have ceased all such monitoring.”
They added that social media listening is a practice that is used by “tens of thousands of organisations of private and public sector organisations” worldwide.
Source – BBC News
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