Hospital’s terrifying toll – 2 children dead, 40 serious infections
Litany of failure as young cancer sufferers fell victim to bugs
MAJOR failings over infection prevention in children undergoing cancer treatment have been found at Scotland’s superhospital.
A damning report has found a third of 118 infections were ‘most likely’ to have been linked to the hospital environment and two out of 22 deaths among children were, at least in part, the result of their infection.
An independent case note review was carried out as part of an investigation into problems with the drainage and ventilation system at the £842million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Campus, which includes the Royal Hospital for Children.
The probe – led by Professor Mike Stevens – investigated 118 incidents of serious bacterial infection in 84 patients aged three months to 18 years who received treatment for blood disease, cancer or related conditions at the Royal Hospital for Children between 2015-2019.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: ‘Patients and their families should not feel unsafe in our hospitals, and staff should not be afraid to speak out as whistleblowers if they have serious concerns.
‘These findings, which will inform the ongoing public inquiry, do not fault the quality of care provided by frontline NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff, but they do highlight serious failings at the health board level. Efforts have been made to improve and adopt the culture of transparency, openness and clinical leadership I expect.
‘However, we will continue to work closely with the board to ensure these are demonstrably embedded to provide the assurance patients and their families deserve, and also so that these lessons can be considered more widely across NHS Scotland.
‘I want to again extend my deepest sympathies to the families of patients who died, and to everyone who has been affected.’
A third of the infection episodes were rated as having a severe or critical impact on patients.
The expert review panel made 43 recommendations, including environmental surveillance improvements and water sampling and testing. The report said: ‘Our findings underline the very significant additional burden these infections, whatever their cause, must have had on the children and young people concerned, and their families.’
None of the children were named but Kimberly Darroch, whose tenyear-old daughter Milly Main died of an infection at the children’s hospital in 2017, believes one of the deaths referred to is Milly’s.
She said: ‘Finally, we are starting to get answers after all these years. This has been a difficult time for us, and we’ll need to come to terms with this as a family.’
Health board chief executive Jane Grant said: ‘This has been a very challenging time for patients, families and staff and I am truly sorry for this.’ She added: ‘With the improvements that have already been made and that continue to be made, infection rates at the hospital remain low.
‘Patients and families can have confidence in the care they receive and in the environment within which they receive it.’ Scottish
‘Finally, we are starting to get answers’ ‘Incredibly painful for families’
Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ‘This is a devastating report which will be incredibly painful for families to read. My thoughts are with Milly Main’s family and all those affected, as well all the frontline health workers who continue to provide such excellent care to patients.
‘The failings uncovered are directly linked to the hospital environment and they would never have come to light if it wasn’t for the bravery of NHS whistleblowers who spoke out.’
He urged the Scottish Government to ensure ‘we now have a robust public inquiry and deliver the fatal accident inquiry Milly’s family deserve’.