MSPs back plan for patient safety commissioner

New legislation to create a patient safety commissioner for Scotland has been passed unanimously by MSPs.

The Scottish government has been told the independent watchdog must have the power to prevent future scandals.

But MSPs rejected seven out of nine amendments from Labour in a package of measures known as Milly's Law.

It is named after 10-year-old Milly Main, who died after contracting an infection at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

MSPs passed the Patient Safety Commissioner for Scotland Bill by 114 votes to zero.

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The new post will be independent of both government and the health service.

However, Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said she was "genuinely dismayed" that the Milly's Law amendments were voted down by SNP and Greens MSPs.

"This is a betrayal of the very people that this bill was supposed to give voice to," she said.

Milly Main died after contracting an infection at the Royal Hospital for Children

The measures Labour proposed would have placed a duty on the commissioner to advocate for families of patients affected by a major health care incident, including helping them get legal representation and bereavement support.

Ms Baillie told Holyrood: "Amendments Scottish Labour brought forward presented an opportunity to rest the balance between patients, whistleblowers, families and powerful public bodies.

"These amendments could have ensured that bereaved families were very much at the heart of the response to disasters and public scandals within the bill."

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said the creation of a patient safety commissioner would "go a considerable way to making health care safer for us all".

Whoever is appointed to the role will be "completely free to consider any issue relating to the safety of health care in Scotland", the minister added.

She said they they would be "directly accessible to patients, families and the wider public to listen to their stories and concerns".

Scottish Conservative public health spokeswoman Tess White said: "At a time when the NHS is in crisis under this SNP/Green Government and capacity is at breaking point, an independent patient safety advocate is particularly welcome."