Symptoms of a deep malaise
Solicitor for critically ill patient’s family hits out
A CATALOGUE of complaints, a litany of infections and fatalities and now a list of contamination.
The spot maintenance inspection of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has detailed a shaming list of maintenance, cleanliness and basic safety infringements so urgent that they have to be fixed in a week for the place to keep functioning.
The outstanding problems identified in the report are damning enough – they need to be addressed.
But, like illness itself, these are only the symptoms of a deep malaise.
Staff have repeatedly pointed out to management that things need to be fixed and they have worked hard to do so.
But the people who run the hospital seem institutionally incapable of running the facility safely or cleanly.
That issue needs to be addressed just as urgently as the list of contaminations and repairs.
BLOOD-STAINED trolleys, contaminated mattresses, and 300 outstanding maintenance jobs were all discovered during a snap inspection of Scotland’s showpiece hospital.
A report on Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital published yesterday made 14 recommendations – the majority of them urgent and to be addressed within seven days.
Issues identified by the Healthcare Improvement Scotland inspection – carried out in January at the request of Health Secretary Jeane Freeman – related to areas like cleaning and estate management.
A 10-year-old boy died at the QEUH in December after contracting cryptococcus, an infection related to pigeon droppings.
An adult who had the same infection died the following month but the hospital said cryptococcus was not a factor in her death.
Later that month, the hospital revealed a patient was “serious” following a separate infection.
Mucor, a type of fungal infection, had been found in two patients but one did not need treatment. The other, Mito Kaur, 63, remains “critical” in hospital.
The Kaur family’s solicitor Aamer Anwar said yesterday: “Sadly, despite two recent deaths and Mrs Kaur who remains in critical condition, the report paints a picture of a ticking time bomb.
“This report delivers a damning indictment on senior management, their lack of communication with nurses and clinical staff who repeatedly raised concerns on patient safety.
“No family should ever feel their loved ones are at risk when admitted to the QEUH.”
The HIS team inspected 27 wards in the main QEUH building, the Royal Hospital for Children and the Institute of Neurological Sciences.
And while they found some good practice in relation to infection control, the organisation’s director of quality assurance Alastair Delaney said “there were also areas of concern” including problems related to cleanliness and maintenance.
Among the repair backlog was damage to wooden surfaces, walls and bed frames.
The hygiene issues included body fluid contamination on toilet seat hinges in the reception and patient areas and two patient transfer trolleys, ready for use, contaminated with what appeared to be blood.
Freeman said: “This report highlights a number of areas where immediate action is required and we will work with the board to ensure these are addressed as soon as possible.”
NHSGGC chief executive Jane Grant said work was already under way to implement the recommendations.
But she said: “Patients should be assured that the prevention and control of infection has always been, and remains, a top priority.”