Hospitals in spotlight
AN inquiry looking at the state of Scotland’s hospital buildings has been launched following the deaths of two patients in Glasgow.
MSPs on Holyrood’s Health and Sport Committee will be carrying out an investigation.
A SCOTTISH Parliament investigation has been launched into hospital conditions following the deaths of two patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow.
MSPs on Holyrood’s Health and Sport Committee have begun an inquiry to probe the state of Scotland’s wards and hospital buildings.
Two patients, a woman and a child, died at the flagship hospital last month after contracting Cryptococcus, a fungal infection liked to contamination from pigeon droppings.
The committee investigation comes after the Scottish Government also announced it was carrying out an external review.
Serious concerns were raised about infection control and cleanliness at the hospital after the two deaths.
Although prompted by the two deaths the inquiry will investigate further afield than the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
It will look at the healthcare environments across Scotland, exploring what risks exist and how these should be reported and addressed.
The MSPs want to hear the view and experiences of healthcare workers.
Lewis Macdonald MSP, convener of the Health and Sport Committee, said: “Like everyone across Scotland, I was deeply troubled by the nature of the deaths at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. There are a number of ongoing investigations into what happened, but this raises wider issues about the safety and control of healthcare environments in Scotland.
“The committee is determined to understand how standards are upheld and consider existing protocols in place. We are also going to look at the adequacy of systems and processes for reporting and controlling outbreaks when they do occur. This is why we want to hear from healthcare professionals from across Scotland.”
They are being asked what the potential risks and hazards are and how do they present themselves.
And if the current systems and processes in Scotland are adequate for monitoring, reporting, eliminating or controlling these hazards.
A formal evidence session with organisations will take place next month at Holyrood.
The Scottish Conservatives said they had called for such an investigation once the deaths were made public.
Health spokesman Miles Briggssaid: “This is an essential investigation, and I’m glad there’s been little time wasted in getting it under way.
“The families of the victims deserve answers, and so too do the patients, visitors and staff who use the hospital every day.
“That’s exactly why the Scottish Conservatives demanded this probe take place.
“We need to know how this was allowed to happen, and what guarantees are in place that such failings won’t be repeated here, or anywhere else in Scotland.”