Senior clinicians have written to the First Minister to express "immense disappointment and frustration" that the integrity and work of staff has been "called into question" at the Scottish Parliament.
Twenty-three NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde clinicians have contacted Nicola Sturgeon and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf saying continued statements suggesting staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are not open and transparent "is of serious concern".
It comes after Scottish Labour lead Anas Sarwar said he intends to bring forward a vote in Holyrood on Wednesday calling for the senior management of NHSGGC to be sacked as a result of the infection scandal at the hospital, which is the subject of a public inquiry.
At First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood last week, Mr Sarwar revealed that a further two deaths at the hospital may be linked to infected water supply.
The clinicians said ongoing remarks were having a serious and negative impact on patient confidence and staff morale and criticised the discussion of individual patients at Holyrood "without the knowledge of the families concerned, causing untold distress to families already grieving the loss of their loved one."
They write: "We have been, and remain, fully committed to being completely open and transparent in all that we do and we are dismayed that the integrity of our staff has been repeatedly called into question.
"Do we always get everything right when we discuss issues with families? Perhaps not. Do we ever wilfully withhold information from them? Absolutely not.
"This unfounded criticism of our clinical teams and staff as well as the safety of our hospitals, is also hugely detrimental to staff morale at a time when so much is being asked of them. Our staff across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, provide professional, dedicated care to their patients and as we prepare for a challenging winter, this sustained criticism of our staff is undoubtedly causing them distress and worry.
"As such, for continued claims to be made that we are less than fully open and transparent across all areas of patient care and building safety is of serious concern, and we are deeply saddened by the way in which the commitment and working practices of our staff at the QEUH and RHC are being portrayed."
The letter goes on to challenge claims by Mr Sarwar that there is a culture of organisational bullying within NHS GGC.
They write:"We are very concerned that these allegations persist as we have seen no additional evidence to substantiate any such claims.
"However, we remain fully committed to addressing any concerns raised by our patients and their families and our dedicated and hard-working staff, and would ask Mr Sarwar to share any such evidence with us as a matter of urgency."
"Our clinical team is also keen to meet with him to address any concerns that have been raised with him."
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