Cancer boy’s dad: Building almost killed our son
Infection was acquired at dirty flagship hospital
A FATHER was left ‘shell shocked’ after he almost lost his son to a hospital-acquired infection following cancer surgery at Scotland’s flagship hospital.
Cameron Gough told the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry he did not expect to be put in a position where ‘a building almost killed our son’.
The inquiry began hearing evidence yesterday into problems that contributed to the deaths of two children.
The independent probe is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.
Mr Gough’s son was diagnosed with cancer in July 2018 when he was aged seven. He became unwell and was found to have a kidney tumour.
In early September 2018 he had an operation to remove the kidney at the QEUH but his condition deteriorated and staff battled to stabilise him.
Mr Gough told the inquiry chairman Lord Brodie: ‘When you see the fear in doctors’ eyes, that’s scary, that was difficult to cope with and we kind of steeled ourselves for dealing with cancer and the implications of cancer. What we didn’t expect was to be put in a position where a building almost killed our son.
‘To put it brutally, a hospitalacquired infection was the point we came closest to losing our son. Later I said it was only a line infection, compared to what had happened with cancer and getting the kidney removed and the doctors said, “No, this was the thing we are most concerned about”.
‘That put the fear of God in me, because my son has just had his kidney out, he has just had treatment for cancer and the most concerning thing about this weekend is a line infection.’ Mr Gough said he was told the problem was a hospital-acquired infection, described as a ‘poo bug’.
Mr Gough said he was ‘shell shocked’ by the experience. ‘It shot my confidence in the hospital an awful lot,’ he said.
He praised the Schiehallion children’s cancer unit at the QEUH but said he was concerned about levels of cleanliness in other areas of the hospital – on one occasion he found ‘brown matter’ on the bed in the room that his son was placed in and had to have the bed changed.
After that experience, he started cleaning rooms his son was put in, as he was not confident that they were clean.
Earlier this year, an independent review found the deaths of two children at the QEUH were at least in part the result of infections linked to the hospital environment.
Kimberly Darroch, the mother of ten-year-old Milly Main, who died in the QEUH in 2017 after contracting an infection, has led the calls for a probe.
Steve Love, QC, is appearing on behalf of 54 parents or family members of patients, represented by Thompsons Solicitors Scotland, who were or are still being treated on the children’s cancer ward and neonatal unit at QEUH.
In his opening statement, he said children ‘faced serious infections, life-threatening additional illnesses and a catalogue of other problems as a result of the hospital environment, the hospital water supply and the conduct of some of the medical
‘Put the fear of God in me’ ‘Parents want answers’
staff there’. He added: ‘Parents of the children affected want answers for what happened, what went wrong and why.
‘Many of them have lost faith in the hospital as a safe place for their children to be treated.’
Peter Gray, QC, representing NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said it welcomed the inquiry and is determined to ensure the issues that have required to be addressed do not arise in other future NHS infrastructure projects.
The opening of the Edinburgh children’s hospital was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system.
The inquiry continues.