The requirement for an independent audit was one of the recommendations made by Lord Maclean following his inquiry into the deaths of 34 patients at the Vale of Leven Hospital from Clostridium Difficile.

The audit is to ensure infection control and prevention is not put at risk during any major service change in the NHS. Robison failed to assure the committee that an independent review has been carried out ahead of the opening of the new South Glasgow Hospital – despite direct questions from Dumbarton MSP Baillie at an appearance at the Health and Sport Committee last week.

Ms Baillie also asked Ms Robison whether isolation rooms were available at every hospital in Scotland, and insisted oversight of the implementation of Lord Maclean’s recommendations has to be more than a paper-based exercise. The Scottish Government sent a questionnaire to every NHS board following the publication of the Vale of Leven Inquiry Report asking them to self-assess their progress for each recommendation.

Ms Baillie said: “The new South Glasgow hospital is the first test for the Scottish Government to reassure the families affected by the tragedy at the Vale of Leven that lessons have been learned.

“Yet the Health Secretary could not say whether one of Lord Maclean’s recommendations has been put into practice.

“The new South Glasgow hospital is Scotland’s biggest ever hospital and the responsibility of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the same health board where serious failures led to the tragic events at the Vale of Leven.

“Shona Robison did not know whether an independent audit has been carried out to ensure that the new hospital meets the processes and standards for infection control and prevention. When she updates Parliament in spring, she needs to be absolutely certain that the Scottish Government has done everything it can to minimise the risk of another C.Diff outbreak. Anything less will not be good enough.” Councillor Michelle McGinty, who lost her mother-in-law to C.Diff at the Vale of Leven hopsital, added: “We welcome the progress that has been made to date and the opportunity for the families of those who died at the Vale to be involved in overseeing the process.

“However the lack of clarity over the new Southern General is deeply concerning. This will be one of the biggest hospitals in the UK and it will open during the implementation period so the Health Secretary needs to ensure that she is on top of this and she can reassure the public that all recommendations are being implemented. Ever since we started our campaign for justice we were motivated by the desire to ensure that no other family will need to go through the pain we endured. It is vital that every one of Lord Maclean’s recommendations is implemented in full and on time.” A Scottish Government spokeswoman told the Reporter: “The Scottish Government takes the safety of patients extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that an outbreak similar to the one at the Vale of Leven Hospital never happens again.

“That is why the Cabinet Secretary accepted all the recommendations in Lord MacLean’s report. The recommendation in Lord MacLean’s report relates to restructuring the boundaries of a health board – not new capital projects – and should not be confused with this.

“It refers to an independent audit as part of a review process subsequent to the reorganisation of a health board.

“The move to the new South Glasgow Hospital has been the subject to a thorough risk assessment and detailed due diligence. Once the transition has been made, there will be a post-event review.”