SNP nursing chief’s astonishing supply of cash and a vacation to heartbroken couple after their daughter’s loss of life at scandal-hit superhospital

A grieving family have sensationally claimed that the SNP government’s nursing chief offered them a bribe of £20,000 and a holiday after their baby died at Scotland’s scandal-hit £1bn superhospital.

The heartbroken couple say Fiona McQueen – who was Nicola Sturgeon’s Chief Nursing Officer – made the cash offer during a phone call to discuss their daughter Sophia’s tragic death at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).

They claim that the government official said they could take their other children on holiday ‘and give them an ice cream to cheer them up’ over their loss.

When parents Theresa and Matthew Smith later expressed their shock at the cash and holiday offer in an email to Ms McQueen, the nursing chief replied by email and apologised saying: ‘I am very sorry that I clearly strayed into an area that was inappropriate for you.’

The couple’s revelation comes just days after Ms McQueen was accused of proposing ‘bribes’ to grieving families affected by the hospital’s infections scandal by suggesting they should be paid off with a ‘trip to Disneyland’.

The accusations were made by Dr Christine Peters, a consultant microbiologist in her evidence to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, where she said Ms McQueen made the remarks in a meeting in 2019.

Dr Peters claimed that Ms McQueen said she didn’t know why NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) hadn’t ‘just offered the families 50 grand, which is a trip to Disneyland, rather than deny that there had been harm caused’ during a meeting about infections concerns in 2019.

However Ms McQueen told the inquiry – which is investigating the water and ventilation issues at the hospital – she ‘didn’t recall’ using these words – and last week was backed by First Minister John Swinney.

Mr and Mrs Smith’s daughter Sophia died when she was just 12 days old, on April 11, 2017.

Tiny Sophia, was born in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley and was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Hospital for Children, which adjoins the QEUH, due to breathing problems.

Sophia contracted a rare bloodstream infection in hospital which developed into sepsis and died less than a fortnight after she was born.

Her adoring parents have never given up in their fight for answers about how their daughter got the infection.

In an exclusive interview with the Scottish Mail on Sunday, Mr and Mrs Smith told of the late-night phone call they received from Ms McQueen.

Mrs Smith, 45, said the couple had emailed former health secretary Jeane Freeman in early 2019, expressing concern about what happened to her daughter while she was in the superhospital.

She said: ‘Within minutes someone from Jean Freeman’s office responded, offered their apologies and said someone would call.

‘That someone was Fiona McQueen.

‘She called at 10.40pm, apologised and said she was going to have to ask me to go through what happened to Sophia from the start. I poured my heart out to her; I was in a very vulnerable place. She listened, she sympathised with us.’

It was when Mrs Smith started talking about the impact baby Sophia’s death had on her other children that she said Mrs McQueen made an offer.

She said: ‘[Fiona McQueen] said “Well, you know, I can help with that.”

‘I didn’t understand, because she can’t raise the dead.

‘She then asked if we were “litigation-minded” and started saying things about how a baby’s life is worth less than an adult, because an adult has a job, a mortgage, a spouse and children… She said if you did go the litigation route, you’d only get up to – and kept emphasising “up to”- £20,000.

‘I said we didn’t want money. She said “Yeah, but you know, we could help you, we’ll organise for you to take the kids on a nice holiday and £20,000. They can have some ice cream, and that will cheer them up.”

‘I questioned what she was talking about. I had put the call on speakerphone, so Matthew was listening, and the horror on his face when we realised we were being offered a bribe…

‘I told her we didn’t want your holidays and your money, we want the truth. We want to know how Sophia died and why she died. Matthew was already motioning for me to cut the call, but she hung up.’

Mr Smith, 56, said: ‘The horror of that discussion has stayed with me ever since.

‘It wasn’t what we were expecting or what we were looking for. In our naivety we felt that this person was going to help us and push to get answers. It wasn’t a conversation we even saw coming, totally out of the blue.’

An email later sent by the Smiths on February 14, 2019, to Ms McQueen states: ‘We were somewhat taken aback during our telephone discussion when you asked me what my thoughts were in relation to litigation and that our daughter’s life would only be worth something in the region of £20,000 should our case be successful.

‘We feel that this was inappropriate to discuss such things with us.’

The nurse chief apologised in a response, and said: ‘I have clearly misjudged our conversation; with the issue of money being put in the context of you indicating that you wanted answers and were not minded to take forwards litigation.

‘I acknowledged that when people move into litigation then that can further add to the distress of parents.

‘However I am very sorry that I clearly strayed into an area that was inappropriate for you.’

Mrs Smith, 45, said: ‘We complained to [Fiona] McQueen’s office about the discussion of money in 2019, we told our lawyers, we told politicians, but nobody would believe us.

Mr Smith said: ‘From our point of view, [Dr Peters’ evidence] gives us the corroboration and the vindication of exactly what we were saying in 2019.

‘We were being told we were just scaremongering and lying.’

As revealed by the Scottish Mail on Sunday, last month NHSGGC admitted there was probably a ‘causal connection’ between contaminated water and infections in some child cancer patients at the QEUH campus, after denying any link for seven years.

Their denials were despite a review commissioned by the Scottish Government five years ago, which found two children’s deaths likely to have been caused, in part, to infections they contracted from the hospital environment.

Infections in 84 children were also investigated with a third considered probably linked to the hospital’s water and ventilation systems.

NHSGGC has been named in a corporate homicide probe into the deaths of four patients at the QEUH campus, while police are investigating the deaths of three other patients who also died after contracting rare infections.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said the Smiths’ claims were ‘heartbreaking’.

He said: ‘This is a heartbreaking story, and my thoughts go out to Theresa and Matthew – not just for the pain they have endured, but the way it has been diminished by a callous government obsessed with cover up.

‘Families deserve truth and justice – not bribes. They have been put through indescribable pain with the loss of loved ones at the QEUH.

‘For seven years, they have been faced with cover-up, denial, and attempts to shift the blame, with no-one held accountable.

‘Meanwhile, John Swinney and this SNP government has closed ranks and hidden behind process rather than give straight answers.

‘The veil of secrecy must now be lifted and this rotten culture rooted out.’

When approached at her home in Ayr, Ms McQueen, 65, – who is now chairwoman of the Scottish Police Authority – claimed the email exchange with the Smiths didn’t exist.

She added: ‘Under no circumstances was any offer of compensation made by me.’

She threatened our reporter by saying: ‘I am having to keep my husband from the door here.

‘But I’ve got two dogs.’

Later in a statement she said: ‘My thoughts and sympathies remain with Sophia’s family and all those grieving the loss of a loved one.

‘My evidence to the hospital Inquiry is a matter of public record and patient safety was always a priority for me. I will not comment further while Lord Brodie considers and reports on the evidence.’