Scottish Hospitals Inquiry - Hearings Commencing 13 May 2025 - Day 1 - Emma White Transcript

Sep 12, 2026

Scottish Hospitals Inquiry hearing transcript for 13 May 2025, Day 1, focusing on opening remarks and the examination of Ms Emma White. The chair outlines the hearing timetable, session structure, and procedural expectations, including breaks and guidance on speaking pace and volume. Mr Connal leads questions covering adoption of a written witness statement, project complexity and scale, key challenges such as schedule-driven delivery, and involvement of over 50 people working under architectural headings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages76

Reading Time27 min

AccessFree to download

Opening Remarks

Hearing timetable and session structure

White, Ms Emma

Sworn in and procedural guidance

Questioned by Mr Connal

Adoption of witness statement

Challenges: scale and speed

Drivers of project schedule

Complexity and team delivery

Scope and involvement of architectural workforce

SCOTTISH HOSPITALS INQUIRY Hearings Commencing 13 May 2025 Day 1 13 May 2025 Emma White CONTENTS Opening Remarks 1 White, Ms Emma Questioned by Mr Connal 3-148 10.03 THE CHAIR: Good morning, both to the legal representatives of core participants in the hearing room in Edinburgh, and to those who are following the proceedings of the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry online. This is the first day in the first set of hearings which have been fixed for this year. We will be sitting four days a week for this week and the following two weeks. We will resume on 19 August for the second session of hearings, and we will sit for two weeks. There will then be a break, and we will resume for what is planned as the final session of hearings in the Inquiry beginning on 16 September and concluding on 10 October. This has been explained to legal representatives previously but, as I say, the plan is that there will be three sessions. With that, at least from the current perspective, that will conclude our oral hearings in the course of the Inquiry. Now, during the session beginning today, witnesses will be taken both by Mr Connal KC and Mr Mackintosh KC, splitting the witnesses between them. This morning and this afternoon, I think we have one witness, Ms White. MR CONNAL: Indeed, my Lord. THE CHAIR: And with that, by way of introduction, I would ask Mr Connal to lead his first witness. MR CONNAL: Thank you, my Lord. My first witness is, as you say, Ms Emma White from IBI or Nightingale Associates, depending on which label applies at a particular time, but the Architects. THE CHAIR: Good morning, Ms White. Now, as you understand, you’re about to be asked questions by Mr Connal, who’s sitting opposite but, first of all, I understand you’re prepared to take the oath. THE WITNESS: Yes. Ms Emma White Sworn THE CHAIR: Thank you very much , Ms White. Now, you have a good carrying voice, which is very encouraging for me because my hearing is not what it was but, in the course of answering, could I just encourage you maybe to speak a little more slowly than you would in normal conversation, and maybe a little bit more loudly , although the microphones are there to amplify the sound and should be sufficient. This morning , we will sit until about half past eleven and we’ll take a coffee break and resume after about 20 minutes, come back and break for lunch at one , take an hour for lunch and then resume again in the afternoon. But if at any stage in the course of your evidence you want to take a break for whatever reason – and you don’t need to tell me what the reason is – please feel free todo that. Please feel that you’re in control of the process. Now, Mr Connal. Questioned by Mr Connal Q Thank you, my Lord. Good morning, Ms White. Just to get one of the formalities out of the way, first of all, you’ve produced a very extensive witness statement, which has been provided to the Inquiry. Are you content to adopt that as part of your evidence at this Inquiry? A Yes, I am. Q Thank you. Let me say now, we acknowledge that this was a very complex, sizable project, and that, in effect, much of it is material that we are not looking at here. So you’ve laid out alot of material for us, some of which is not directly focused on our issues, so we acknowledge that, first of all. I want to ask you a number of questions in due course, focused on trying to find out what seemed to work well and what didn’t, if I can put it as colloquially as that, so that perhaps recommendations can be made in the future to avoid any issues. I think you’re aware that as part of the background to the Inquiry, just to keep to the big picture, one ward was basically rejected by its proposed users and had tobe worked on, and another ward was later found, in the views of some the Inquiry has heard of, not to be in a satisfactory condition. That was 4B and then 2A. Just from your perspective, were there any special challenges to this projec

FAQs

What is covered in the opening remarks on Day 1?

The chair explains the hearing schedule, planned session dates, break times, and how witnesses will be questioned during the session. Procedural guidance includes speaking pace and volume for the witness.

Does Ms Emma White adopt her witness statement as evidence?

Yes. Mr Connal confirms that she has produced an extensive witness statement and Ms White states she is content to adopt it as part of her evidence.

What does Ms White identify as the biggest challenges of the project?

She highlights the combined scale of the project and the speed at which work had to be completed as the biggest challenges.

Why was the project required to work at a particular speed?

Ms White explains that programme timing was stipulated through the invitation to participate in dialogue or the bid stage, and compliance with those timelines was necessary for a compliant bid.

Sep 12, 2026

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