Glasgow super-hospital at centre of water infection scandal 'opened too early'

The Glasgow super-hospital at the centre of a fatal water infection scandal “opened too early” despite safety fears, a public inquiry has heard.

In a written submission to the Scottish hospitals inquiry on Tuesday, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board apologised to those affected by faults at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus, and said it was clear the hospital was not ready when it opened in 2015.

The board accepted that “pressure had been applied to open the hospital on time and on budget, and it is now clear the hospital opened too early” and “it was not ready”.

The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is examining the design and construction of the QEUH and the Royal Hospital for Children on the same Glasgow campus.

After years of hearing evidence, the inquiry has reached its closing stages.

The inquiry was launched following a series of infection-related deaths, including that of ten-year-old Milly Main, who died in 2017 while being treated for leukaemia at the Royal Hospital for Children.

Milly was diagnosed with leukaemia aged five, but was in remission when she picked up an infection at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The number of patient deaths and infections led to concerns about the water and ventilation systems.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde officials previously denied that bacteria in the water at the QEUH campus were to blame, but lawyers have confirmed that the board has accepted that the infections of some child cancer patients were probably caused by the water system.

The lead counsel for the inquiry said it was disappointing that this change of position had not come earlier. They also criticised the board for failing to blame any individual in its closing statement.

MSPs slam ‘unforgivable cover-up’

At Holyrood on Tuesday, MSPs demanded that those responsible at every level be held to account.

Speaking in the chamber, Dr Sandesh Gulhane said SNP ministers “must take responsibility for this scandal”.

The Tory MSP said: “The unforgivable cover-up of infected water leading to the unnecessary deaths of cancer patients, including two children, is the most appalling and disgusting hospital scandal to engulf our health service.”

Dr Gulhane said multiple hospital inspections as early as 2015 “exposed the fact that water at the hospital was not safe and there was a high risk of subsequent infection”.

He went on: “NHS Glasgow has spent years covering it up, silencing whistle-blowers, gaslighting families and betraying the trust of patients.

“The calculated attempts at hiding the truth have denied the victims’ families closure. How many more times must we say, never again before this culture of secrecy and cover-up ends?”

Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said at the time of the hospital’s opening that Nicola Sturgeon was first minister, Shona Robison was health secretary and John Swinney was the finance minister, adding: “Their fingerprints are all over this.”

“We need to know what they knew, when they knew it and exactly who pressured the health board to open the hospital before it was safe, causing the death of children,” she told Parliament.

The Health Secretary offered his “biggest condolences” to the families impacted by the infection issues at the hospital and said ministers took concerns about patient safety seriously.

However, he said it would be inappropriate to comment on the revelations from the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry while it is ongoing.

“It is because we have instigated the public inquiry that I believe we are getting to the truth and I think it is important we allow the public inquiry the space to consider its final conclusions, and for the final report to be considered, before we determine any final considerations,” Gray said on Tuesday.

“I am duty-bound as a minister. There are very strict rules around seeking to influence or comment on or pre-empt public inquiries to do that, and I think it would be the best for Parliament to do likewise.”