New infection risk identified at Glasgow's superhospital

A ward at Glasgow’s main hospital has been partially closed after a new infection risk was identified.

An investigation by Sky News reportedly found mould and dirty water ingress in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow.

It is understood that these are clinical areas within the adult bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit, which treats patients with severely weakened immune systems.

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that a “number of rooms on ward 4B are closed at the moment and are being managed in line with agreed recognised processes”.

“These rooms do not have patients in them, and actions have been implemented, including sealing the rooms off as a precaution, with additional appropriate infection control measures taken to mitigate any potential risks to patients, ” the spokesperson added.

“We are in communication with patients to ensure they are fully kept up to date.”

The QEUH, which opened in 2015, has been at the centre of a long-running controversy following a series of infection-related deaths.

Concerns that bacterial and fungal infections were linked to the hospital environment, particularly the water and ventilation systems, prompted a public inquiry, announced in 2019.

In a closing submission earlier this year, the health board for the first time conceded that some infections in a child cancer unit were on the balance of probabilities linked to defects in the water supply system.

Last month the health board insisted its flagship campus was now safe and John Swinney declared only last month that he believed “the hospital to be safe”.

Families of those affected by infections linked to the flagship hospital wrote to the First Minister saying the facility is still not safe.

The letter, signed by relatives of 27 patients who have died or suffered infections, says more reassurances are needed around the safety of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).

John Swinney declared that the hospital was safe. STV News

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has demanded “openness” from both NHS bosses and the Scottish Government in the wake of the news reports.

Sarwar, who has repeatedly raised issues with the hospital with Mr Swinney, said the investigation showed why he had been “right to question the First Minister week after week”.

He said: “If I have to shut individual wards because they are not safe, I will do that.

“If I have to find the money to repair wards because they need to be improved and upgraded, I will make that happen.

“I will always put patient safety first.”

Sarwar said: “We can’t put politics before patient safety.

“So we need as much transparency as possible.

“We need an openness from government and the health board, rather than relying upon journalists doing independent investigations to try and find the truth.”