NICOLA Sturgeon gave her support to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman yesterday amid agrowing row over two major Scottish hospitals.

Freeman came under fire last week after details emerged of the death of 10-year-old leukaemia patient Milly Main at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow in 2017.

Milly’s mother, Kimberly Darroch, said she was “100%” sure it was due to contaminated water, which led to two wards on the hospital campus being closed more than 12 months later.

Freeman admitted on Friday that she knew about Milly’s death after Darroch contacted her but did not feel the matter should be a public one.

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Campaigning in Stirling yesterday, the First Minister said: “Firstly, my thoughts and condolences are with the family of the little girl, but the Scottish Government all along has been determined that any questions, any issues, that are required to be addressed will be fully and openly addressed.

“That’s why the Health Secretary – who does have my support – has ordered a public inquiry.

“She was before the Health Committee in the Scottish Parliament this morning setting out our hope and expectation that the chair of that public inquiry will be appointed before the Christmas recess so that it can get on with its work to make sure there is confidence in children’s hospitals and the children’s services they provide.”

Freeman called the inquiry in September after it emerged there had been issues with ventilation and other building standards at the QEUH in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP) in Edinburgh.

The RHCYP was due to open in July but patient transfer was cancelled after the discovery of ventilation issues. It is now expected to open next autumn.

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Concerns over contaminated water at the QEUH forced the closure of two wards at the children’s hospital on its campus in September last year. The death of a three-year-old boy, named as Mason Djemat, in the same month as Milly was investigated by police.

The Health Secretary said on Monday she was open to Scottish Government intervention in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as has already happened in other areas of the country. Currently, NHS boards in Tayside and Highland have been escalated to level four, the second highest level of intervention.

NHS Lothian, NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Borders are all considered to be level three.

Freeman told the committee the announcement of the remit and the start date of the inquiry will closely follow the naming of the chairperson, who will also have a hand in setting its terms.

She added: “The chair of the inquiry has a significant role in finalising the role of that inquiry so we will undertake that finalising work with him or her, then we will be able to announce the final remit and its start up date shortly after we are able to tell yourselves and Parliament who will lead the inquiry.”