Union calls for update on hospital windows safety
UNION bosses have called on health chiefs to keep them informed about an investigation into why windows from the city’s new super hospital are failing.
It is understood a couple of panes of glass have fallen from the £840million flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Last week, another window pane fell, prompting an investigation into the cause.
A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “A glass pane dislodged at the QEUH on Tuesday afternoon and fell onto an area inaccessible to the public. No one was harmed in the incident.
“Health and safety experts were on site to ensure the area affected remained safe for patients, staff and the public.
“We take this issue seriously and are working closely with both the main contractor Multiplex and with an independent glazing expert to assess the damage and potential causes.”
Health service staff union Unison has now called on the health board to keep them informed about the investigation.
Glasgow regional organiser Matt McLaughlin said the union has raised the matter with health board bosses.
He added: “There seems to be a lack of communication from the employers on this which is a bit concerning.
“We fully appreciate they need to do an investigation and that there could be a number of reasons this issue could be happening.
“The risk to patients, staff and visitors is relatively low but they need to talk to us to keep us in the loop and we are not convinced they are doing that.
“I don’t want to be overdramatic because I think it would be easy to overinflate the danger.
“But I don’t know if three breakages of this nature is particularly bad or below industry standards.
“I don’t know what the health board’s thinking is about what is happening and I don’t know if it is about faulty glass or installation.
“This is something they should discuss with us to put people’s minds at rest.”