Dirt and mould found at flagship hospital’s brain unit
MOULD was found on plus holes, shower trays and shower curtains in a state-of-the-art brain unit which inspectors say is too run down in places to be cleaned properly.
An unannounced inspection at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in November uncovered “significant dust” on portable patient equipment in the site’s Institute of Neurological Sciences.
Inspectors also discovered “sticky residue” on monitoring devices, dust and grime on floors, and mould on shower trays, plug holes and shower curtains. The report by Healthcare Improvement Scotland said inspectors were told by staff that many of the repairs recommended following a previous spot check in January 2019 were still outstanding.
It added: “Some significant repairs within the domestic services rooms had taken place, however the fabric of the building remains in a poor state. This makes it difficult to effectively clean.”
Inspectors found “multiple”
issues with the building, including water ingress on ceilings and extensive damage to walls and shower trays, broken sealant on showers, sinks and toilets, and exposed pipework in staff areas.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) has been under pressure following a string of infection scandals at the flagship QEUH and its adjacent children’s hospital. Inspectors said there had been a number of changes at the QEUH and Royal Hospital for Children (RHC) since their previous visit in January 2019, which had resulted in HIS issuing 14 required improvements and one recommendation.
HIS welcomed the installation of negative pressure rooms, additional training and recruitment for domestic staff, removal of bladeless fans in high-risk areas, improvements to the cleaning schedule management and regular cleaning of ventilation panels. Ian Smith, head of quality of care at HIS, said: “The standard of cleaning has improved in the emergency department and initial assessment unit at QEUH. We also saw good staff compliance with standard infection control precautions, including the RHC.
“Within the Institute of Neurosciences, some significant repairs had taken place since our last inspection. However, the fabric of the building remains in a poor state, making it difficult to effectively clean.
“In addition to actions taken at the time of our visit, NHS GGC has developed an improvement action plan to address our requirements following this inspection of the Institute of Neurosciences.”
It comes after the health board referred the death in 2017 of 10-year-old leukaemia patient Milly Main to the Crown Office. She was recovering from a stem cell transplant in the RHC when she contracted a bacterial infection which led to sepsis and organ failure, later claimed to be linked to contaminated water at the site.
Professor Marion Bain, NHS GGC’S director of infection prevention and control, said: “The latest inspection demonstrates the QEUH and the RHC are meeting national requirements in relation to infection control and cleanliness standards.”