Scotland’s first minister has said he is “confident” Glasgow’s scandal-hit super-hospital is safe, despite Sky News revealing mould and dirty water had forced the partial closure of a cancer ward.
John Swinney has once again maintained his assurances about the safety of the near £1bn Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH).
The campus has been at the centre of ongoing controversy over contaminated water and ventilation system issues, possibly being linked to a number of patient deaths in the past decade.
Earlier this week, Sky News’ Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies reported that mould and dirty water leaks were identified in clinical areas within the adult bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit, which treats patients with severely weakened immune systems.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said a number of rooms in a ward had been closed “in line with agreed recognised processes”.
Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, claimed the ward “is not safe, and nobody should be saying it is”.
The expert told Sky News any form of mould “could kill” bone marrow patients and the ward “should be closing” until repairs are complete.
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In February, Mr Swinney was sent a letter signed by 27 people affected by the hospital infections scandal, which called for more reassurances about the ongoing safety of the facility.
The first minister said he understood their concerns but stated that he believed the hospital is safe. He was asked about Sky News’ report during a visit to Inverness on Wednesday.
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Mr Swinney said: “I’m confident that the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is safe for patients.
“There will be issues that emerge from time to time with individual hospitals that require a response and action to make sure that safety is maintained.
“That is exactly what’s going on at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital under the leadership of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“All of that focus is necessary to make sure that we can continue to be confident in the safety of the hospital, and that’s the work that will be undertaken.”
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NHSGGC refused to specifically answer 10 questions posed by Sky News – but issued a statement in response.
The health board confirmed that a “number of rooms on ward 4B are closed at the moment and are being managed in line with agreed recognised processes”.
The spokesperson added: “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.
“We are in communication with patients to ensure they are fully kept up to date.”
The health board said patient safety “remains at the heart of everything we do”.
The spokesperson added: “Infection prevention and control are core priorities across all our hospitals.
“Since the QEUH and RHC (Royal Hospital for Children) opened in 2015, we have faced challenges linked to the original build quality. The building we got was not what we paid for.
“We acknowledge the impact this has had on patients, families, whistleblowers and staff, and we are sorry for the distress caused.”
