NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde admits probable link between infections and hospital water system

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has accepted there was likely a “causal connection” between patient infections and the water system at Scotland’s flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

The admission has been made in closing submissions to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which is examining the design and construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children on the same Glasgow campus.

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 and died in August 17.

In its submissions, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it now accepts that “on the balance of probabilities” some infections suffered by patients were linked to the hospital environment, “in particular the water system”.

The health board said it was “more likely than not” that a material proportion of additional bloodstream infections among paediatric haemato-oncology patients between 2016 and 2018 were connected to the state of the hospital’s water supply.

It said infection rates fell after remedial work was carried out in 2018, including changes to the water system, and acknowledged it had revised its position after hearing expert evidence.

A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “We remain fully committed to supporting the inquiry in its investigations.”

Milly’s death has been at the centre of the inquiry.

Her family have previously said they were not told about concerns over the hospital’s water supply and have claimed NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde knew there were infection risks.

The health board has apologised to Milly’s parents, Kimberly Darroch and Neil Main, for the distress they experienced, and the family has written to the Lord Advocate seeking a Fatal Accident Inquiry.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We established a statutory public inquiry so that families could get answers to their questions, and so that lessons can be learned for future hospital projects.

“As an independent core participant of the inquiry, the Scottish Government is committed to assisting the inquiry and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Final oral hearings in the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry are due to begin next week, starting on January 20.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: “QEUH has been at the centre of several infection-related scandals from its very beginning.

“There is now a substantial body of evidence that points to a cover-up at the very top, which has only been exposed by this inquiry.

“Families like those of Milly Main, Molly Cuddihy and many others have waited years to get straight answers from those responsible.

“Those are now being extracted rather than freely given.

“That long and expensive process only became necessary because of a culture of secrecy, learned from the SNP.

“Since 2017, a succession of Scottish Government health ministers refused to intervene.

“They have all managed to escape any real repercussions for their lack of interest in a life-threatening situation, meanwhile a similarly long list of senior executives have parted ways with the board, no doubt on great pay deals.

“Members of the public will want to know why the SNP always seem to help senior management escape scrutiny.”