The Health Secretary has rejected a call to sack health board bosses after it emerged it is being treated as a suspect in a police investigation.

Police Scotland is investigating four deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

The mother of Milly Main, who died in 2017, aged 10, after contracting an infection linked to the water supply at the hospital called for the chief executive and chair to be removed from their jobs.

READ NEXT: Mum speaks after health board is 'suspect' in police probe into deaths

Michael Matheson, Health Secretary, chaired the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Annual review at the QUEH with Jane Grant, chief executive and board chair, John Brown.

Speaking afterwards, Matheson said: “There’s a live police investigation taking place at the present moment into this issue. I don’t think it would be appropriate for ministers to intervene in a way that could have an impact on that police investigation.

“I fully appreciate that families will continue to have unanswered questions and feel that further action needs to be taken but given the public inquiry and also the police investigation that’s taking place just now it would be more appropriate for us to wait for the outcome of those and where they make recommendations, particularly in the public inquiry, that we ensure that any recommendations are implemented.”

John Brown, Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “At this point in time, everyone within Greater Glasgow and Clyde is concentrating on trying to improve the services we deliver to the population we serve.

“The challenge for the leadership team as I said is to improve the level of services that we actually deliver.”

READ NEXT: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde ‘suspect’ in death of Milly Main

During the review, he said the public had concerns when the media reports issues around infections but that the evidence was different.

He added: “I said I understood that the public was concerned, I understood the population was concerned, I understood the people who use the hospital were concerned and I understood the staff were concerned and then I went on to say that’s not what the evidence says and these reports are distributed when they are published by the board, so they are there.

When asked if he accepted any responsibility for the deaths, he added: “As the chair of the health board I am ultimately accountable to the cabinet secretary for the quality of care that’s delivered to all the patients within Greater Glasgow and Clyde.”

The Glasgow Times asked to speak to Ms Grant but was told she was not available for interview.