Child killed by infection ‘linked’ to city hospital
AN infection “probably” linked to Glasgow’s children’s hospital was the “primary cause of death” of a young cancer patient, an investigation has found.
Infections from contaminated water at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were also found to have been an “important contributory factor” in another child’s death.
A case note review, which is due to be published on Monday, looked into the cases of 84 children who developed infections while undergoing treatment at the hospital and found that a third of infections “probably” originated in the hospital and the rest were possibly acquired there.
Families of patients referred to in the review were given sight of an embargoed copy of the report ahead of its publication.
The report does not name the child who died but Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he had spoken to Kimberley Darroch who believes the patient referenced is her daughter, Milly Main.
The 10-year-old, who had leukaemia, underwent a successful stem cell transplant in July 2017 and was making a good recovery when the following month her Hickman line, a catheter used to administer drugs, became infected. Milly went into toxic shock and died some days later.
Mrs Daroch said: “There is nothing that can bring Milly back and a tiny part of me still hoped that the link to the water supply wasn’t true.
“Finally we are starting to answers after all these years.”
A spokeswoman for NHSGGC said: “Families of patients referred to in the Case Note Review have been provided [with] the report ahead of its publication. We respect this and we will respond when the report is published on Monday.” get