Medics angry ahead of debate on safety at Glasgow hospital

A group of senior clinicians at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow have complained about “unfounded criticism” of clinical teams and staff.

In a letter to First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, 23 senior clinicians “…have expressed their immense frustration”.

The clinicians wrote: “As NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde clinicians and clinical leaders, we write to express our immense disappointment and frustration about the way in which our hospitals, our colleagues and the treatment of our patients is being portrayed in the press and the chamber of the Scottish Parliament.”

They add: “We are particularly disappointed that individual patients are being discussed in Parliament without the knowledge of the families concerned, causing untold distress to families already grieving the loss of their loved one.

“Our staff across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, including the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus, provide professional, dedicated care to their patients and as we prepare for a challenging winter, this sustained criticism of our staff is undoubtedly causing them distress and worry.

“This unfounded criticism of our clinical teams and staff as well as the safety of our hospitals, is also hugely detrimental to staff morale at a time when so much is being asked of them.”

The letter comes ahead of Labour leader Anas Sarwar calling for Sturgeon to “finally do the right thing and sack the leadership at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital”.

Labour claim photographs of mould, recently discovered at QEUH, and published in an academic paper expose the risks of water in seeding infection inside hospitals.

Labour’s opposition business motion focuses on patient safety, and calls on the Scottish Parliament to withdraw its confidence in the leadership of Greater Glasgow & Clyde Heath board.

The vote comes after families and clinicians came forward to speak out about a series of deaths at the flagship hospital spanning the last five years.

Sarwar said that repeated pleas from the loved ones of those who have died from preventable hospital-acquired infection have been ignored.