Welfare at the heart of everything

The news about the death of two premature babies at Glasgow’s Princess Royal Maternity Hospital has affected everyone involved and touched the hearts of anyone who has heard or read about it.

My deepest sympathies are with the families and with the family of the other baby who continues to be treated.

While infections of this kind are now thankfully rare, that will not help to ease the pain of the parents.

I know that the importance of good hygiene, infection control and the safety of their patients is central to what hospital staff do.

In response to these three cases, additional steps have been taken.

These include enhanced screening of newborn babies, a heightened programme of cleaning and a review of infection control measures to make sure that everything that should be done to prevent infection and infection spread is being done.

I am very much aware that this is not the first infection that has been confirmed in recent weeks. Those at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital have been widely reported.

Sadly, the two people who contracted cryptococcus fungus have died. One of those cases, tragically, was a child.

I have been to the hospital and met senior clinical staff and members of the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde board to hear for myself that they are taking every necessary step to respond to this incident.

As with the Princess Royal, immediate additional measures have been put in place to ensure that hygiene and infection prevention is absolutely as good as we need it to be.

To give additional assurance, I have also asked the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate to carry out an independent inspection. And I have ordered a wider, independent review to look at the design, construction, commissioning, handover and ongoing maintenance of the QEUH and how that contributes to effective infection prevention and control.

I will do all I can to help the dedicated staff working in our NHS reach their goal – a healthcare environment as safe as it can possibly be.