NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) Emergency Department Review appoints key review team positions
Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie has accepted an invitation by Healthcare Improvement Scotland to Chair the External Reference Group. This group will support the Review of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Emergency Departments at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Professor Ritchie joins Dr Pamela Johnston and Professor Hazel Borland, who have been appointed as the co-chairs of the Core Review Group. The group is tasked with undertaking the practical process of the review. This includes exploring the full range of leadership, clinical, governance and operational issues that may impact on safety and quality of care. It will also identify areas for improvement that are evidence based, sustainable and practical.
The review is being carried out in light of concerns first raised by medical consultants regarding the safety and quality of care at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) Emergency Department in May 2023. The review will also take account of safety and quality of care across the other main receiving Emergency Departments in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (Glasgow Royal infirmary and Royal Alexandra Hospital). It will also consider any wider learning for emergency departments and NHS boards across NHS Scotland.
The External Reference Group will provide advice, appropriate scrutiny, and validation of the work of the review.
“I’m delighted at the announcement of our team of experts to undertake the review of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Emergency Departments. It was important that we made the right appointments, in order to ensure that the review is as robust and independent as possible.”
Director of Quality Assurance and Regulation for Healthcare Improvement Scotland
Professor Ritchie is currently James Mackenzie Professor of General Practice at the University of Aberdeen. He has led a number of independent reviews of NHS services in Scotland, including the National Review of Out of Hours Services in Scotland (Pulling Together – Transforming Out of Hours Services for the People of Scotland) and more recently Out of Hours Services in Skye, Lochalsh and South-West Ross (SLSWR) and in NHS Forth Valley.
Dr Pamela Johnston recently retired as Executive Medical Director of NHS Tayside. Hazel Borland is the former Executive Nurse Director and Deputy Chief Executive at NHS Ayrshire and Arran.
Speaking of the appointments, Lynsey Cleland, Director of Quality Assurance and Regulation for Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said:
“I’m delighted at the announcement of our team of experts to undertake the review of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Emergency Departments. It was important that we made the right appointments, in order to ensure that the review is as robust and independent as possible. We are confident that the review will provide the appropriate level of assurance to the public about the quality of care being provided at emergency departments across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and provide the opportunity to consider any wider learning for emergency departments and NHS boards across NHS Scotland.”
It is anticipated that the work of the review will be undertaken within six months. The review report is expected to be published at the beginning of 2025. Visit our website to read the Terms of Reference for the review.