NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of "breaking the law" amid claims a family has not been told the death of their child was linked to an infection at Glasgow's super-hospital. 

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said two children died due to a water-borne infection at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

He added: "One family had to find out by fighting the health board, and the other family may not even know."

Raising the issue during First Minister's Questions, Mr Sarwar called it "the biggest scandal of the devolution era".

He accused Ms Sturgeon of breaking the legal duty of candour.

An independent case note review previously concluded there were significant failings over infection prevention and control, governance and risk management at the QEUH campus.

It investigated 118 episodes of a particular type of serious infection, caused by Gram-negative environmental (GNE) bacteria, from 2015 to 2019. 

Patients were aged between three months to 18 years and were all receiving treatment for blood disease, cancer or related conditions.

It found a third of these infections were "most likely" to have been linked to the hospital environment, and that the deaths of two of the 22 children who had died were, at least in part, the result of their infection.

Both children had other serious medical problems and the review concluded that "even without the infection", their survival would still have been uncertain.

Mr Sarwar has been supporting the family of one of the children, 10-year-old Milly Main.

He said it is "unforgivable" that Milly's family learned of the probable cause of death in a newspaper.

Despite attempts by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to contact affected families since the scandal came to light in 2019, Mr Sarwar warned the relatives of the other child who died have "almost certainly" not been found.

Ms Sturgeon extended her "deepest sympathies" to the families involved. 

Speaking during FMQs, she said the review team has managed to contact all families "with the exception of one".

She said: "One family regrettably, and despite extensive efforts by the team and by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, has not been able to be contacted.

"Any family, though, who wishes to get in touch with the independent case note review team is able to email the following address - nss.casenotereview@nhs.scot."

Ms Sturgeon said she "has had an assurance that there have been rigorous attempts made to contact the one remaining family that there has not been contact with, and unfortunately and regrettably it has not been possible to contact them, and I know that Greater Glasgow and Clyde will continue to take all reasonable and appropriate steps to locate that family". 

Mr Sarwar said her answer was "not good enough". 

Elsewhere, Ms Sturgeon said she will seek to provide more information about the number of attempts made to contact the family, and when the first attempt took place.

She added: "I will certainly be ensuring that the health board is doing everything that is reasonably possible to locate this family."

The First Minister said everybody involved wants the family to be located.

She said the Government has established a public inquiry, which is underway, and that it is an "incredibly serious matter".

Speaking after FMQs, Mr Sarwar said: “Two children died in Scotland’s flagship hospital due to a water-borne infection.

“One family had to find out by fighting the health board.

“And the other family may not even know.

“This is the biggest scandal of the devolution era.

“This scandal has involved denials, bullying of clinicians, cover ups and parents of sick children being blamed for their illnesses.

“Clinicians have been raising the alarm for years.

“The result of inaction is tens of children getting infections and tragically two children dying.

“But inexplicably, there are still families fighting for the truth and justice.

“Nicola Sturgeon was Health Secretary when this hospital was commissioned.

“She was First Minister when it opened despite an independent review finding that the water supply was not safe. 

“But the only people that have paid the price for this scandal have been the families and the whistle blowers.

“This case proves that the response from the First Minister has not been good enough.

“Scotland’s duty of candour law means that families should have been informed as soon as the health board became aware.

“That means the family should have been informed at least 18 months ago.

“The First Minister has broken the law and she must take personal responsibility that this family will be found and told the truth about what happened to their child.

“Someone must be held accountable for this scandal.”