THE FAILURES THE WARNINGS THE SCANDAL UNMASKED
Inspection team exposes serious infection control failures at flagship hospital weeks before patients died
Professor: These are basic errors and the results could have been catastrophic
Safety inspectors exposed a catalogue of serious infection control failures at a flagship hospital where patients have died because of dirty air and water.
The Health and Safety Executive sent a damning nine-page report to managers at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow, after uncovering basic failures in the training of staff caring for patients with some of the world’s most infectious diseases. An accompanying letter demanded urgent action to protect staff, patients and the public.
However, within weeks of the official ultimatum, two patients had died after being infected with airborne bacteria linked to bird droppings. Last week, it emerged the deaths of two young patients were being blamed on contaminated water.
Experts shown the inspection report passed to The Post voiced shock yesterday. Professor Hugh Pennington said: “I’m astonished NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde did not face criminal charges or other tough sanctions, as the consequences could
have been disastrous.”
An
official inspection exposed a catalogue of serious failings in infection control at a hospital weeks before dirty air and water were blamed for the death of patients, we can reveal today.
The failures were so serious that, after being shown the damning ninepage report, one leading expert voiced surprise that managers in charge of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow had not faced criminal prosecution.
A report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was sent to the Glasgow health board’s chief executive in November 2018 and listed a raft of probtrained lems with how staff were and equipped to deal with highly contagious diseases.
An accompanying letter from the HSE demanded urgent action to protect staff, patients and the public.
But, within weeks, two patients had died because of an infection linked to pigeon droppings carried through the ventilation system.
Since then, dirty tap water has been blamed for the deaths of two young patients as parents accused managers of concealproblems ing the scale of the at the so-called super-hospital on the banks of the Clyde.
On Friday, the Scottish Government imposed special measures on Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board, putting an oversight board in place as Health Minister Jeane Freeman said there were issues over infection and control.
Today, we can reveal inspectors found managers had failed to give staff the most basic training in the use of equipment to care for patients suffering from some of the most infectious and lethal diseases, including Ebola and Lassa fever, more than a year ago.
The flagship hospital, that had cost £842 million when it opened in 2015, was failing to provide enough training on the use of protective masks, background health checks, and monitoring of staff working with infectious patients.
HSE inspectors found staff treating patients with infectious diseases broke even the most basic rules – including removing safety equipment while still inside patients’ rooms instead of going outside to a pre-prepared decontamination zone.
One senior nurse was ordered to treat a patient suffering from a viral haemorrhagic fever ( VHF)
– among the world’s deadliest and most contagious diseases – after just one hour of on-the-job training.
Infectious diseases expert professor Jack Lambert, of Dublin University, described the report’s findings as “utterly shocking”.
He said: “These are basic errors and absolutely should not be happening in a modern hospital.
“The consequences could have been catastrophic.
“Not only could VHF-type diseases have been spread from patient to staff, it could have spread to the public, and that could be catastrophic.
“Having a nurse treating a VHF patent after just one hour’s on-the-job training is downright dangerous, as is removing protective equipment while in an infected patient’s room.
“We must wake up to the dangers and ensure staff are fully trained, and that means regular, up-to-the-minute training, they are fully equipped and know how to use protective gear to ensure there is no cross-contamination and infection is contained.
“This requires proper investment, and it’s something I’m just not seeing.”
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said: “I’m astonished NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde did not face criminal charges or other tough sanctions, as the consequences could be disastrous.
“Cases of viral haemorrhagic fevers are very rare of course, but they do happen and the rules are there for good, sound reasons.
“Failure to follow them could result in infection being passed from patient to staff and then to the greater community.”