ACTION should have been taken to deal with problems at Glasgow’s crisis-hit super-hospital “before” patients moved in, the Health Secretary has said.

Jeane Freeman has announced more action is being taken to step up infection control at the Queen Elizabeth University hospital campus.

She said “significant additional steps” were needed to restore trust in the management of the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, which is part of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus.

Ms Freeman revealed Professor Marion Bain, the former medical director of NHS National Services Scotland, is to take over responsibility for infection prevention and control at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The Health Secretary told MSPs an expert assessment of infection prevention and control in the clinical environment will also be carried out.

She added that “action should have been taken” to deal with problems before patients moved into parts of the £840 million hospital complex.

Giving a statement to Holyrood after meeting the full board of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Ms Freeman said bosses had been left in “no doubt how seriously the Government takes these issues” and of the “actions I require from them to restore and rebuild confidence”.

Concerns about the water supply at the hospital have been raised after it emerged 10-year-old cancer patient Milly Main died after contracting an infection in August 2017.

Documents seen by Labour MSP Anas Sarwar reportedly show NHS Estates has commissioned three separate independent reports into the water supply at the QEUH, including one in April 2015.

Ms Freeman confirmed those reports - produced for the health board by contractor DMA Canyon - had not been shared with the Scottish Government at the time

Mr Sarwar said that was “simply unforgivable” from the health board.

He added: “The water supply was deemed not safe and high risk. In those circumstances that hospital should never have been allowed to open.”

Mr Sarwar called on Ms Freeman to launch an urgent investigation into how that was allowed to happen “and make sure that heads roll”.

The Glasgow MSP added: “Patients, parents and the public have lost faith in the leadership of the health board.

“Cabinet Secretary, please, those people must be moved aside to allow a genuinely independent investigation to happen.”

Ms Freeman said it was “entirely unacceptable” that the reports had not been shared with the Scottish Government.

She added: “When one looks at those reports the action should have been taken, in my opinion, before patients and others moved into particular areas of that hospital.”

Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said a lack of confidence in Ms Freeman meant it was time for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to appoint a new health secretary

“The problem is that families have lost confidence in Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS and this SNP Government,” he said.

“And sadly nothing in this statement today suggests the Government is actually in control of this crisis at the hospital.”

The Conservative MSP added: “The families have lost confidence in her as Health Secretary, and so have NHS staff, and who can blame them?

“We all know where the buck stops and it’s time Nicola Sturgeon put Jeane Freeman in special measures and appointed a new health secretary.”

Last month, Ms Freeman escalated the Government’s level of involvement in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, appointing a board to oversee its work.

A public inquiry has also been announced to examine issues at the site of the two hospitals.