Damage found at Sick Kids hospital site

● Unannounced visit finds rusty cots and exposed wood panelling at child hospital

Health inspectors have uncovered damage to flooring, walls and paintwork at two hospitals hit by the delay in moving to a new site on the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh campus.

The unannounced inspection was carried out on the orders of health secretary Jeane Freeman at the Sick Kids Hospital and the Department

of Clinical Neurosciences (DCN) at the Western General Hospital.

The Scottish Government sent the inspectors in to seek assurances of patient safety around infection control and prevention. The team also found damage to ceiling tiles in the wards at the DCN, and exposed wood panelling and peeling of sealant around shower trays at the Sick Kids.

A theatre inspection at the Sick Kids revealed equipment stored in an area with large amounts of dust on the floor and sterile instrument trays stacked on top of each other creating a risk the packaging may become damaged or torn.

Some child cot frames were coated with rust and damaged, making it difficult to clean them effectively.

At the DCN, one ward had lockers in use that were rusty and could not be cleaned properly.

In the high dependency unit a table used for nursing charts was rusty on the bottom part of the frame, with staff being told the items had been condemned and replacement equipment had been delivered to the new build. The new Sick Kids hospital at Little France was due to open in July, but the move was cancelled at the last minute after the ventilation in critical care was found not to meet national standards.

It is now scheduled to open next autumn.

This meant the existing hospital in Sciennes, near the Meadows, remained in use despite final preparations being made for the move.

The latest expert report on problems at the new £150 million building revealed smoke dampers had not been fitted to the ventilation system in corridors serving sleeping accommodation, creating a risk of smoke spreading through ducting to affect escape routes.

The latest inspection to the existing sites took place between 22 and 24 October last year.

Speaking on the report, Ian Smith, head of quality of care at Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “During our inspection we found a number of issues, including damage to flooring, walls and paintwork across both hospital sites, but we also saw that some areas of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children had recently been redecorated.

“Staff told us they regularly report issues and that they are dealt with in a timely fashion.”

Prof Alex Mcmahon, from NHS Lothian said: “The report picks up on damage to the fabric of the existing RHSC and DCN facilities and makes recommendations and requirements that we fully accept. Within both areas, we have implemented an improvement and maintenance programme.”